Per Cromwell: If they throw into jail for toys, how do people live in the country?

• 12.07.2012, 17:38

Swedish organizers of the “teddy bear assault” deny contacts with Belarusian activists.

“We have had no contacts with Belarus before,” founder of Swedish Studio Total PR agency Per Cromwell said on July 12 during a Skype conversation with Pavel Vinahradau, the leader of the youth wing of Tell the Truth campaign – Zmena.

Per Cromwell said the aim of the organizers was to draw attention to human rights violations in Belarus, where political prisoners are kept in jails and rights of opposition and media are being violated.

“We were surprised to hear that people in Belarus can be arrested for a picket with toys. If they throw into jail for toys, how do people live in the country? The example of Belarusian democratic activists inspired us for our operation,” Cromwell said.

Answering questions of a BelaPAN correspondent, Per Cromwell said the most difficult in the operation was to learn to fly a plane. He noted he did not have information about air defence in Belarus.