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A group of independent UN experts on the human rights situation in Belarus condemned the decision by the Belarusian authorities to invalidate the passports of former political prisoners who were forcibly expelled from the country.
The UN experts stressed that the former political prisoners had been left without valid passports in violation of international law and in the absence of legal grounds or proper justification.
“The individuals concerned face serious legal and practical consequences, including restrictions on freedom of movement that prevent them from returning to their own country and separate them from their families, difficulties in obtaining legal status, access to employment, healthcare and basic services, as well as heightened risks of statelessness or prolonged legal uncertainty.
States are obliged to ensure the protection of their citizens and guarantee that any administrative measures affecting their rights comply with both national and international law. The invalidation of passports, while falling within the sphere of states’ sovereign prerogatives, must be carried out in accordance with applicable legal standards”, the statement said.
The experts stressed that invalidating a passport without clear legal grounds may constitute a violation of fundamental rights protected under international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as four articles of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including provisions related to freedom of movement, the right to enter one’s own country, the right to recognition as a person before the law and the principle of non-discrimination.
“The group urges the Belarusian authorities to immediately remedy this situation, restore the rights of the affected individuals and ensure full compliance with their international human rights obligations”, the statement said.
It is worth recalling that in March, a number of political prisoners expelled from Belarus said that their Belarusian passports had been invalidated. Among those whose passports were declared invalid was Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski.