Russian LGBT activist detained at Minsk airport
LGBT activist Maria Rymar from Samara was detained at the Minsk international airport after joking about explosives in her bag.
Her lawyer Vadzim Mushynski says the activist was not happy with the beefed up security measures at the airport. "There was a conflict about it and she jokingly said: if you are looking for something, TNT is in my bag. That was enough to remove her from the flight, detain and open a criminal case," the lawyer told Interfax.
Aliaksandr Marchanka, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, said the woman is facing criminal responsibility.
“The unemployed Russian national, the woman born in 1978, was to take a Minsk-Moscow flight at the Minsk international airport. During pre-flight security checks, she told security staff that she had explosives in her possession. This joke ended up with a criminal case opened against the passanger, " said the Interior Ministry official.
The case has been opened under Article 380 in the Penal Code of Belarus "False security alarm." It envisages up to seven years in prison, reports BELTA.
The woman is being held in pre-trial detention.
