KGB: Basharymau and Surapin are charged, we wait for Swedes in Minsk

"In the interests of objective investigation of a criminal case and clarifying all circumstances of breaking the air space of the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Lithuania the Committee for State Security (KGB) suggests that the citizens of Sweden, who participated in organization and conducting of illegal crossing the state border should arrive to Minsk for participation in the investigation measures as suspects, including face-to-face interrogations" - they stated in the KGB. 

They also explained that, upon the results of these measures they would "take the final corresponding procedural decisions with regard to the Belarusian citizens mentioned in this criminal case".

According to the information provided by BELTA, the center for information and public relations of the Belarusian KGB has informed on Tuesday that charges were made against Anton Surapin and Syarhei Basharymau under part 6 Article 16 (criminal complicity) and Part 3 Article 371 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Belarus) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

Let us remind you, Surapin was detained by the KGB on July 13 in the framework of the case on illegal crossing of the border by the Swedish light-motor plane. The incident happened in the morning on July 4. Hundreds of teddy bears were dropped over Ivyanets and Minsk. Representatives of the Swedish PR-campaign Studio Total claimed responsibility for the action. This was the way they wanted to support the freedom of word in Belarus. 20-year-old student of the BSU journalism faculty Anton Surapin was the first to publish the photos of the teddy bears dropped by the Swedes at his web-site Belarusian News Photos.

On July 6, the KGB detained real estate broker Syarhei Basharymau. They told him he was suspected in complicity in crossing the border by a group of people. Basharymau rented an apartment to the director of the Swedish Studio Total Per Cromwell in May. He was going to rent Cromwell an apartment on July 3 as well, but the latter failed to come to him and sent a few text messages refusing to take an apartment in Karl Marx Street. 

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Per Cromwell: If they want to invite us to Belarus, let them contact us directly

"Teddy bears invasion" organizer Per Cromwell commented on the KGB's statement.

Cromwell says that no one have contacted him or his friends so far. They know about the KGB's statement from the Internet already.

"If they want to invite us they should contact us directly, when we can meet them and where... Still, I think that they will contact us as soon as possible" - he says. Only after this the Swedes will think what to do next.