Volha Brytsikava (or Olga Britikova), the head of a sales department at the Naftan Petrochemical Factory in Navapolatsk, was fired from her job on 4 December because of her trade union activity. Volha joined the branch of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP) on 28 August and in September she was elected as chair of the branch, a position she still holds despite having been fired from her job at the factory. On 21 September, KGB officers searched Volha’s apartment. During the search computer equipment was seized from Volha Brytsikava and she herself was detained and later released.