Opposition activist searched on Belarusian-Ukrainian border

Uladzimir Syakerka, a member of the Fair World party, was taken off Chernihiv-Homel train at Terukha station on the border on October 14.

“They detained the train for 20 minutes – border guards couldn't explain to me why I had to get off the train. The shift supervisor Senior Lieutenant Alesya Tsyhankova said they had problems with my passport, though I have been using it for abroad trips, also to the EU, for five years,” Uladzimir Syakerka told Radio Svaboda.

Customs officers searched the opposition politician on Terukha border checkpoint.

Border guards later made a report and pointed the reason for the train delay: “Getting a passenger, who was found in the database, off the train.”

Border guards were checking Syakerkya until 2 a.m. They finally said his passport was okay and ordered Uladzimir to get on Kyiv-Minsk train. He arrived in Homel at 4 a.m.

Syakerka says Belarusian border guards already took him off the train on his way from Vilnius to Belarus. The politician wants to figure out who, when and why put him on the database.