MINSK, BELARUS (ANS) -- Following what has been described as “The Great Teddy Bear Pro-Democracy Escapade,” over Belarus, the country has asked Sweden to pull its diplomats out of Minsk after it said it is withdrawing all of its embassy staff from Stockholm, a government statement said.

A handout photo provided by Swedish advertising agency Studio Total and made available August 3 2012, shows teddy bears parachuting over a residential area in Minsk, Belarus on July 4th. (Photo: EPA/BGNES)

“Belarus expelled Sweden's ambassador on August 3 following the July 4 escapade in which about 800 toy bears bearing pro-democracy messages were parachuted into the hardline former Soviet republic from a light aircraft chartered by a Swedish public relations firm,” said a Reuter’s story.

“The incident was a humiliation for President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and is on poor terms with the West because of his harsh policies towards the political opposition [and also Christians].

It added that the Swedish plane dropped the toy bears near the town of Ivenets and near the capital Minsk, each carrying a message urging the Belarussian leadership to show greater respect for human rights.

According to the Sofia-based www.novinite.com, Sweden has been advised to withdraw its embassy staff from Minsk by August 30, the statement added, as cited by RIA Novosti.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

Belarus earlier refused to renew the accreditation of Sweden's ambassador, Stefan Eriksson.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko fired a number of top officials over the teddy bear stunt.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has been accused by western governments of cracking down violently on dissent.

His re-election for a four term in 2010 was marred by allegations of vote-rigging.

Challenging Restrictions, Christian Church Dedicated In Belarus

Mission Network News (MNN) -- http://mnnonline.org-- reported in May of this year that despite lack of religious freedom in Belarus, a church building was dedicated in the last dictatorial nation in Eastern Europe.

It was also dedicated in honor of two men, father and son: Peter Deyneka, Sr. -- founder of Slavic Gospel Association, and Peter Deyneka, Jr. -- founder of Russian Ministries.

MMN says that President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba was there.

Dedication ceremony of the church in Belarus. Sergey Rakhuba (back row, middle)

“It was a great opportunity to participate in a dedication service where we were able to travel back in history and remember and honor the lives of those two servants of Christ,” he said.

Peter Deyneka, Sr. moved to the United States from Belarus in 1914. He became a dynamic preacher of the Gospel after he came to Christ at Moody Church in Chicago.

The story went on to say, that while the Soviet Union is no more, Rakhuba says Belarus is not an easy place to be a Christian. He says this celebration was marred by interference. “When we finished our dedication service, police called the pastor and were asking all kinds of questions – ‘Who was there? Why did you do this? We did not [permit] you to do this’ -- although we didn't do anything wrong.”

Rakhuba continues, “If there's an evangelistic service [Christians] would like to hold in the community, nobody would have the permission to do it on public ground. You have to do it within your walls [of the church]. You cannot share your faith publicly. That's already a constitutional law there.”

Churches have a lot of restrictions, says Rakhuba. “They aren't allowed to visit orphanages. They are not allowed to do any social Christian service to help those who are in need,” he added.

Dan Wooding, 71, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 49 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and he hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States and around the world. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries. Dan recently received two top media awards -- the “Passion for the Persecuted” award from Open Doors US, and as one of the top “Newsmakers of 2011” from Plain Truth magazine. He is the author of some 45 books, the latest of which is “Caped Crusader: Rick Wakeman in the 1970s.” To order a copy, go to: http://www.amazon.com/CAPED-CRUSADER-Rick-Wakeman-1970s/dp/1908728302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335474883&sr=1-1 .