Police in Russia's Komi Republic detained activist Dmitry Makhov on April 2 for using a picture of the historical flag of Belarus online. Makhov was charged with displaying an extremist symbol on a social network. The white-red-white flag was used by the short-lived Belarusian Democratic Republic in 1918-1920 and reinstated after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1995, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, replaced the historical flag with one similar to that used in the Soviet era. Opposition groups have used the historical flag as their symbol for decades. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
Russian Activist Detained For Displaying Historical Flag Of Belarus
Belarusian opposition groups have used the historical white-red-white flag as their symbol for decades. (file photo)