The magazine which was seized by customs
Customs officials in Belarus have seized 25 copies of gay magazine Pride.
The magazine is published by international group InterPride.
Siarhei Androsenka, the head of Project GayBelarus, told ukgaynews.org.uk that he was told of the seizure last week.
He was informed that they had been seized because GayBelarus has no legal status in country and that the copies could not be for personal use of the addressee, Sergey Androsenko.
In a statement on the group’s website, it pointed out that the “rights of freedom speech, distribution and reception of the printed information” are often limited by the government.
The group’s applications to become a registered organisation have been refused.
Although homosexuality is not a criminal offence in Belarus, homophobia is widespread and instances of harassment occur in all spheres of society.
Homosexuality was decriminalised in Belarus in 1994. In December several MEPs asked questions about the situation for LGBT people in the country, often desrcibed as Europe’s last dictatorship.
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