Books from Radio Svaboda Collection Seized on Border
Scientist Viktar Korbut had sent some books from his personal collection to Belarus, to return them home; customs’ office seized them for examination concerning extremist contents.
On February 21, the scientist’s friend Alexander was stopped on border point Damachava. He was detained for 24 hours. The customs’ office said they did not have the books on their list, so they had to seize them for examination. These books were mostly from the collection of the Radio Svaboda: three books by Siarhei Navumchyk, Majstrounya by Siarhei Dubavets, Zhyvaja Mova by Yuras Bushliakou, Viartanne Natsyjanalista by Aliaksandr Lukashuk, and some other, 15 in total.
“Every book was a single copy and stamped with “ex libris Viktar Korbut”. They belong to me. I often ask somebody to bring me my books from Belarus to Warsaw and send something back… There is no extremism there – these science books, memoirs.”
Viktar Korbut condemned the actions saying such situation creates obstacles for work. He thinks that formally the customs’ office should have returned the books because they were not on the extremism list.