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Studio Total via EPA
A Swedish advertising agency parachuted the 879 teddy bears over a residential area in Minsk, Belarus, on July 4, 2012.
A Belarusian border guard was sentenced to two years in prison Monday for failing to report a border crossing by a Swedish plane that parachuted hundreds of teddy bears into the country carrying pro-democracy protest messages.
The sentence was announced by the Belarusian Supreme Court, which said the unnamed officer would be sent to a maximum-security facility, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.
The Associated Press and Charter 97, an independent news service opposed to the government of dictator Alexander Lukashenko, also reported the announcement.
The strife over the stuffies eventually escalated into a diplomatic war between Belarus, a former Soviet republic of about 10 million, and Sweden. Each nation expelled the other's ambassador after the parachute drop on July 4, which is also Belarus' Independence Day. Sweden has long been open about its desire to see democracy take root in Belarus.
Belarus didn't publicly acknowledge the airdrop until two weeks later, when Lukashenko criticized the military for allowing the plane to enter Belarusian airspace. He also fired the foreign minister and the generals in charge of air defense and the border patrol.
Authorities also arrested two civilians: a journalism student who put pictures of the teddy bears on his website and a property manager who offered an apartment to the plane's Swedish pilots, two of four pro-democracy advertising agents who dreamed up the stunt. They told NBC News last year that they hoped the diplomatic spat would increase pressure on Lukashenko.
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Lukashenko...I have to ask: what kind of a wimp feels sufficiently threatened by teddy bears to react with such destructive malice?
You're always going to be remembered as a fearful bully, not the hero you seem to think you are.
You're going to be remembered as an epic, cowardly failure who could only rule by destroying his nation and his subjects.
Anyone who has borne witness to the catastrophe wrought upon an entire generation of Americans by one "Teddy Ruxpin" should certainly sympathize with Belarus.
Too bad the teddies didn't have oldbammys face on them....then they'd have something to be pissed about.....
Yes, that punishment certainly seems appropriate :l
Two years in prison is a TAD BIT overboard... Massive fine? Sure. Suspension and/or firing? Why not. But two years in prison?
Okay.
I'd rather have teddy bears invade the usa instead of all the illegal aliens. Less expensive for health care, food stamps, baby after baby, etc.
sounds like that poor guard got the shaft, that is some stupid country to do that, and its president? is a obama,and that is the worst insult you can call someone, i hope it hurts that countries president or dictators feelings
One guard is supposed to stop 800 teddy bears? Even an octopus would have run out of arms.
the teddy bears were against his agenda.
Sounds like the Belarus government is a bunch of pansies...
This is just plain stupid.
I think the issue wasn't the teddy bears it was letting a plane into thier country.It could have been bombs bing dropped.Can you think of a more effective way small bombs with timers in a teddy? A person picks it up and carrys it to an area with more people it explodes and you have many injurys and deaths.This is the same problem we face the president ignores Federal law and allows and in some cases sues states to allow illegals into our country who knows what they bring with them? Drugs,bombs or weapons?
You were doing OK there Jim-590931 with the Teddy bears as a military threat idea, till you went off the deep end into Birther Tea Bagger, Palin Speaking in tongues Wing Nut Wackadoodle territory with that rant on illegals and how Obama is such a bad guy stuff.
Jim...I think the article said that it was the propaganda attached to the teddy bears.
Good point, because legal citizens NEVER bring drugs, bombs, or weapons into the US. (sarcasm)
yep, teddybears definately should be banned from public...Too dangerous outside of home...
He should move to the usa. We are so spoiled we get away with murder
It doesn't appear that the "cuteness factor" is appreciated by the Belarusi's Belasrushkins, Belarusians? They should probably get themselves a PR firm as they stink at it. Russia is the real problem not Sweden.
lukashenko is obviously a coward too afraid of new ideas...
this sounds like something obama ADMEN would do
Why would anyone promote slavery?
Why would someone spend money they don't have? One mistake leads to another I guess...
Belarus should take away all its citizen's "ASSAULT WEAPONS" before they randomly start imprisoning people........Oh, they already did!
ahh...yeah. What a threat. I guess it is possible that there are times when teddy bears could be very dangerous, especially if they fall into the wrong hands.
What did they do to the teddy bears, hold them captive, or put the in front of a firing squad?
Wanting to change such a stuffy place to try to live as Belarus?
It's absurd.
Imagine the sentence he would have gotten if they were Smurfs!
Or magazines with a picture of Alfred E. Newman's face on the cover!!
They want worry!
I am surprised that it required the Belarussian Supreme Court to sentenced the guard !!! There is no free speech nor independent judicial system in Belarus; therefore, no democracy. Belarus is just another N. Korea without the nukes or another Iran without a Koran!!!
Well , at least the exguard is now protected from teddybears for two years anyway...
The bear facts have been suppressed....the blind border guard is a scapebeargoat. And I would like to know if the bears were on their first solo jump.
What a testiment to the state of the world's leaders....talk about taking life too serious....even recalling ambassadors.
Good thing it wasn't Swedish paratroopers. Or where they?
Those "authorities" need to have their heads examined. What a bunch of nutcakes.
Like a teddy bear would, oh, never mind!