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Forced leaf collection and police intimidation: How Belarus targets the unemployed

Unemployed individuals raking leaves in a park in Vitebsk District. Photo: uvd_vitebsk / Telegram
Unemployed individuals raking leaves in a park in Vitebsk District. Photo: uvd_vitebsk / Telegram

Officers of the Vitsebsk District Department of Internal Affairs conducted a preventive measure targeting unemployed citizens included in the database of those not engaged in the economy, commonly referred to as "parasites"—forcing people to collect fallen leaves in a park without payment for their labor.