Constitutional Court confirms there are persons banned leaving the country on political grounds

• 17.06.2008, 10:57

Valyantsin Shuklin, judge of the Constitutional Court, in practice confirmed that in Belarus there is a list of persons who cannot leave the country for political reasons.

Commenting on the situation with persons banned to leave the country, the representative of Themis said to the European Radio for Belarus: “even if a person is an accused, in a criminal case, he or she cannot be left in the list of persons restricted to travel abroad for more than a year. A person cannot be a suspect for a year, two or three years. A question should be solved, whether to bring a charge against him, when one is accountable for something, or not”.

The situation is extremely unambiguous as treated by the member of the Constitutional Court. But the example of the leader of the United Civil party Anatol Lyabedzka shows the opposite. The UCP leader is a suspect in a criminal case related to insult of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s honour and dignity for the 5th year. On these grounds he is put on the list of persons restricted to travel abroad for political reasons.

“The comment of Valyantsin Shuklin gives legal foundation to seek a statement from the Constitutional Court on the issue of the list of personas restricted to travel abroad on political grounds,” Anatol Lyabedzka believes.