Why wearing the wrong socks is risky in Belarus bbc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A woman has been fined £650 for wearing red and white socks because they matched the colours of the Belarusian opposition nationalist movement s flag.
The pedestrian was spotted in Minsk wearing the coloured socks and shoes as she was on her way to a driving lesson, and was grabbed by four men in balaclavas.
Natalia Sivtsova-Sedushkina was told she was being detained for dressing improperly, because she was sporting the colours of the banned flag.
File image shows shoes and socks similar to those worn by Ms Sedushkina when she was arrested
The woman was also accused of flashing V for Victory signs to passing drivers, many of whom saluted back.
BBC News
By Andrey Kozenko
image captionWhat looks like normal sports kit is treated as a political statement in Belarus
The Belarus authorities are now punishing not only those who fly the opposition red-and-white flag but even people sporting socks in those colours.
A woman on her way to a driving lesson was grabbed by four men in black balaclavas in the capital Minsk. They told her she was dressed improperly.
The reason? She was wearing white socks with red stripes, like the banned flag.
She was also accused of flashing V for Victory signs to passing drivers - who saluted back - and was heavily fined.