Belarus hits back after teddy-bear invasion

Belarus expelled Sweden’s ambassador on the 3 August 2012, days after firing two generals for failing to stop a Swedish advertising company from air-dropping 800 teddy bears close to the country’s capital.

Stockholm immediately retaliated on Friday by expelling two Belarusian diplomats and adding that Minsk’s new ambassador would not be welcome in Sweden.

The aircraft chartered by Studio Total, an ad company based in Malmo, southern Sweden, had dropped hundreds of teddy bears carrying messages promoting human rights and criticising the Belarus government.

BBC News, 3.8.12: Belarus expels Swedish ambassador for promoting rights http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19112233

The Local.se, 3.8.12: Belarus expels Swedish ambassador http://www.thelocal.se/42406/20120803/

BBC News, 8.8.12: Belarus-Sweden teddy bear row escalates http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19176432

EurActiv, 9.8.12: Belarus-Sweden row prompts EU emergency meeting http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/belarus-swedish-row-prompts-eu-e-news-514260

EUObserver, 9.8.12: Why the EU must counter Belarus' latest provocation http://euobserver.com/opinion/117196

Deutsche Welle, 8.8.12: Belarus withdraws embassy staff from Sweden in bear spat http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,16151197,00.html

EUObserver, 13.8.12: EU declines to retaliate against Belarus http://euobserver.com/foreign/117210

EurActiv, 21.8.12: Belarussian minister ousted in teddy bear crackdown http://www.euractiv.com/europes-east/belarussian-minister-ousted-tedd-news-514358

---