Alexievich missed a flight: you have a bomb in your luggage!

It sounds like the latest prank by Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko.

Svetlana Alexijewitsch, member of the opposition Coordination Council Belarus, who lives in exile in Berlin, was subjected to a special check at the Berlin airport because of a bomb allegedly hidden in her hand luggage.

She missed her flight to Wroclaw, where she was expected at an event by Olga Tokarczuk ("Alexievich and Tokarczuk Protest").

A bomb was not found, the Tokarczuk Foundation had to pick up Alexievich by car.

BER Airport does not want to comment on the matter and refers to the Federal Police, which, according to a press spokesman, are still in the process of examining the case, but definitely declares that there was no bomb threat.

The police and security personnel behaved differently towards Alexievich, as she reported to the employee of the Tokarczuk Foundation, Jana Karpienko.

Ms. Alexievich, what happened at Berlin Airport?

A story in the Lukashenko style. After I checked in my luggage, my things that I had put on the conveyor belt and that I was waiting for after passing the gate were suddenly taken back, stopped and checked again at the security check. I thought that could happen. Maybe I forgot to take out my perfume or something. I waited a long time because quite a few people were being stopped there and their luggage was being checked. You were noticeably cautious during the baggage check. Finally the man from the airport service takes my bag back, looks at it suspiciously, and checks it again with some kind of tool. Then he indicates to me that he will open it. I say: Please go on. I wanted to help him, but he opened it himself.And when he opened it, he suddenly threw the bag away so violently ...

Did you think that was his real reaction?

Yes. I was really curious why he was reacting that way. I was told to wait. I found the situation very strange. I didn't know what was going on. I waited and waited. Finally I said I was going to miss the plane. No reaction. After a long time, a lady, also from the airport staff, comes up to me and stands next to me. I ask: what happened? She replies that we are waiting for the police. That surprised me - why the police at all? We probably had to wait half an hour for the policewoman, a polite young German. I thought she wanted to check my things one more time. But she didn't even want to let me near her. So I ask again: What is this about? The policewoman points to my bag and says there's a bomb in there! I say,that they must have lost their minds. Then another man comes with some kind of tool and checks again. The policewoman instructs one of the inspectors to dump everything from my pocket into a container. He does that, she looks in and sees - among other things - the press card that I had with me. They talk for a while, and finally she gives a sign that everything is okay. Then they took my other bag, the one with my tablet computer, some books, a notebook. They checked everything. There was no bomb. And they tell me I can go now You have neither apologized nor commented. At this point it was five minutes before departure. I didn't have a chance to make the flight.Then another man comes with some kind of tool and checks again. The policewoman instructs one of the inspectors to dump everything from my pocket into a container. He does that, she looks in and sees - among other things - the press card that I had with me. They talk for a while, and finally she gives a sign that everything is okay. Then they took my other bag, the one with my tablet computer, some books, a notebook. They checked everything. There was no bomb. And they tell me I can go now You have neither apologized nor commented. At this point it was five minutes before departure. I didn't have a chance to make the flight.Then another man comes with some kind of tool and checks again. The policewoman instructs one of the inspectors to dump everything from my pocket into a container. He does that, she looks in and sees - among other things - the press card that I had with me. They talk for a while, and finally she gives a sign that everything is okay. Then they took my other bag, the one with my tablet computer, some books, a notebook. They checked everything. There was no bomb. And they tell me I can go now You have neither apologized nor commented. At this point it was five minutes before departure. I didn't have a chance to make the flight.He does that, she looks in and sees - among other things - the press card that I had with me. They talk for a while, and finally she gives a sign that everything is okay. Then they took my other bag, the one with my tablet computer, some books, a notebook. They checked everything. There was no bomb. And they tell me I can go now You have neither apologized nor commented. At this point it was five minutes before departure. I didn't have a chance to make the flight.He does that, she looks in and sees - among other things - the press card that I had with me. They talk for a while, and finally she gives a sign that everything is okay. Then they took my other bag, the one with my tablet computer, some books, a notebook. They checked everything. There was no bomb. And they tell me I can go now You have neither apologized nor commented. At this point it was five minutes before departure. I didn't have a chance to make the flight.There was no bomb. And they tell me I can go now You have neither apologized nor commented. At this point it was five minutes before departure. I didn't have a chance to make the flight.There was no bomb. And they tell me I can go now You have neither apologized nor commented. At this point it was five minutes before departure. I didn't have a chance to make the flight.

Wasn't really anyone interested in the situation?

It was late in the evening and the airport was almost empty. I wanted to find out if I could take another flight, but couldn't find anyone. The information desk was closed. I called my agent and a friend who came to pick me up. Then the story followed with the checked-in main baggage that my friend and I were looking for. Everything was closed, no one was there. Finally we found the baggage claim. A Russian woman from Chelyabinsk came up to us there, recognized me and promised to write a complaint. The story about the bomb in my pocket could have been related to the charger ... but today everyone has a charger with them! In any case, I got my luggage back, which was checked again. Only the woman who handed it to me apologized.

How do you assess the situation?

These people feel that their power is unlimited and they know that they do not have to face any consequences.

However, I have never met anything like it.

Translated from Polish by Felix Ackermann.