Yesterday, we all witnessed how the Lukashenka regime hastily pushed the released political prisoners to the border. 52 people were released as a result of the US diplomatic efforts. However, initial accounts revealed that prior to deportation, several individuals had their passports confiscated. According to available information, KGB officers seized passports immediately before departure and instead handed out only certificates from the Department of Citizenship and Migration (OGiM) – temporary A4-format papers that do not qualify as valid identity documents. In the case of Mikalai Dziadok, KGB officers went as far as tearing his passport apart. This practice by the Lukashenka regime directly violates Belarus’ international human rights obligations.
- Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees everyone the right to leave any country, including their own, and to return to it. The Covenant also explicitly prohibits arbitrary denial of entry into one’s own country. By stripping Belarusians of their national passports, the regime effectively makes it impossible for them to exercise these rights.
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 13 and 15) guarantees every person the right to freedom of movement, to choose their country of residence, and reaffirms the right to return to their own country.
- The 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness prohibit creating situations in which a person is left without valid identity documents.
- The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Article 7, para. 1(d)) classifies “deportation or forcible transfer of population” as a crime against humanity when such acts are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population. Such actions by the regime may fall under crimes against humanity if proven to be part of broader repressive policies.
Comment by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau:
“We received this information yesterday and are continuing to collect confirmation. The situation is appalling. People were stripped of their national passports and forcibly deported. This is not only a gross humiliation of human dignity but also a violation of international law and fundamental human rights.
Belarus, as a signatory to the ICCPR, is obliged to guarantee freedom of movement and respect the right to citizenship. Instead, people were literally thrown out of the country with OGiM certificates that, of course, are not recognized as valid identity documents.
I consider this practice a potential violation that falls under the definition of forcible transfer of population, as outlined in the Rome Statute. This must receive international legal assessment”.
At present, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office is clarifying all the details of what happened and intends to draw the attention of international organizations to this flagrant violation.
