Belarussian Leader Promises Swift Justice Against 'Teddy Bear' Parachute Drop (I Am Being Serious)

Two Belarusian journalists have been arrested for participating in a stunt that involved parachuting teddy bears. © Photo Studio Total

Teddy Bear Air Drop Still Roils In Belarus -- Christian Science Monitor

Belorussians have been put on trial for complicity in last month's teddy bear air drop by two Swedes protesting Belarus's poor human rights and democracy record.

No, it's not happening on the Forest Moon of Endor, but in a place that often seems almost as strange and remote: the post-Soviet republic of Belarus.

Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko has ordered his law enforcement officials to get to the bottom of the intrusion into his country's airspace last month by a small private aircraft that dropped 879 teddy bears, each on its own individual parachute and bearing a pro-democracy messages such as "we support the Belarussian struggle for free speech."

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More News On The 'Teddy Bear' Crisis In Belarus

Belarus arrests two in wake of teddy bear airdrop -- NBC
Belarus fines two for toy bear photos after airdrop -- Chicago Tribune/Reuters
Belarus pushes Sweden to close its embassy in Minsk -- L.A. Times
Belarus orders closure of Swedish embassy to Minks, expels all diplomats -- Washington Post/AP
Belarus Journalists Fined Over Teddy Bear Stunt -- RIA Novosti
Belarus's teddy bear fury continues -- Foreign Policy

My Comment: That's the problem with dictators who have a thin skin .... a few teddy bears on parachutes can make them go nuts. What an embarrassment .... but on the plus side .... Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko's backers in Moscow are deeply embarrassed with him, and are making themselves scarce when his name is mentioned.

The Teddy Bear Invasion

Belarus Fires Generals After Teddy Bears Drop From The Sky -- L.A. Times

Two generals were fired and two people were arrested after an air bombardment that left the president of Belarus fuming over how its borders could be so easily overrun -- by teddy bears.

Hundreds of the toys descended on Belarus last month, dropped by Swedes tooling over the capital, Minsk, in a small plane. The plush invaders were outfitted with parachutes and bore activist slogans such as “Free Speech Now.” The human pilots, working for a Swedish ad agency, wore teddy bear masks.

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More News On The Belarus Teddy Bear Invasion

Teddy Bears Fall From Sky, and Heads Roll in Minsk -- New York Times
Teddy bear air invasion leads to ouster of 2 top generals in authoritarian Belarus -- Washington Post/AP
Sweden in Diplomatic Row With Belarus After Teddy Bear Drop -- SFGate/Bloomberg
Belarus expels Sweden's envoy after teddy bear incident -- AFP
Belarus Denies Expelling Swedish Ambassador -- RIA Novosti
Teddy bear bomb fallout continues in Belarus (VIDEO) -- Global Post
Belarus: Home of 'Europe's last dictator', blighted by human rights problems - and at war with the teddy bear -- Daily Mail
The Teddy Bear Bombers -- Foreign Policy

My Comment: As a rule .... dictators have huge egos and hate ridicule. The President of Belarus certainly falls in this category.