The case, although it may give rise to a smile, points to the severity of the repression in Belarus. In what is often referred to as “Europe’s last dictatorship”, the mere fact of wearing the colors of the opposition can lead to a criminal response. The BBC thus reported, Thursday, May 6, the case of a woman arrested mainly because of … her socks. Those of Natalia Sivtsova-Sedushkina were indeed white with red stripes, colors of the protest against President Alexander Lukashenko.
According to British radio, the “offender” would also have had the boldness to make the V for “Victory” in the street. At the end of her arrest, she was sentenced to a fine of 2,320 Belarusian rubles, or a little over 750 euros, more than a month’s average salary. This would not be an isolated case, to the point that Belarusian ready-to-wear company Mark Formelle has decided to stop offering this specific model. Some 2,700 people have already been sentenced this year for anti-Lukashenko activities, the BBC said.
Battle of flags
The Belarusian president was re-elected in August 2020, following an election in which major frauds were exposed. The European Union has also refused to recognize the legitimacy of Alexander Lukashenko.
During major demonstrations severely repressed, the opposition leader currently in exile in Lithuania called for the wearing of white and red, the colors of the flag of independent Belarus. After his election in 1995, Alexander Lukashenko restored the red and green flag from the Soviet era.
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