The names in this story have been changed to protect our sources’ safety.

Delivering newspapers in Belarus is dangerous work.

Distributors wear hoods to hide their faces and gloves so they won’t leave fingerprints. They work late in the evening, changing their routes to avoid being noticed. Once past the front door of an apartment block, they find a quiet spot to start work. They stuff leaflets into mail boxes, or leave them in piles where residents can easily find them.

If they are seen, distributors are told to hide the newspapers in their coats or bags. If they are caught by police, they claim the leaflets were never theirs to begin with.