The A Country to Live In Foundation has reported new cases of humiliating personal searches at the Belarusian border targeting people previously involved in so-called “protest cases”. The reports describe forced stripping, psychological pressure, and deliberate humiliation of people entering Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau, comments on the situation:
“The regime in Belarus is once again showing its true face. While propaganda speaks of ‘dialogue’ and ‘reconciliation’, people at the border are in fact being broken through humiliation, fear, and the demonstration of complete impunity.
These are not security measures. This is politically motivated pressure against citizens whom the authorities consider disloyal. Forced degrading searches and the use of fear as a tool of control are signs of a repressive system, not a state governed by the rule of law.
Against this backdrop, the regime’s statements about ‘Belarusians returning home’, the work of the so-called ‘return commissions’, and ‘security guarantees’ appear openly cynical. It is impossible to urge Belarusians to return home while lawlessness and a lack of respect for human dignity await them at the border.
We once again remind everyone: if there is a risk of politically motivated persecution, pressure, or detention, do not travel to Belarus. Do not believe propaganda that seeks to create an illusion of ‘normalization,’ safety, and stability. Under the current regime, there are neither genuine security guarantees nor legal protections for people with a civic stance”.
