Three leaders of Homel criminal gang – Valery Harbaty, Ihar Danchanka and Siarhei Marozau – have been executed by shooting lately. On 6 February the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis condemned the new facts of death punishment in Belarus. Earlier the Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Rene van der Linden also called the president of Belarus to abolish the death sentences to the criminals. (8-FEB-08)
According to http:.//naviny.by and http:www.spring96.org
After the liquidation of the permissive passport seal for leaving the country Belarusian citizens thought it would be much easier to travel abroad. But on the other hand, people have no guarantees that going abroad on business or on expensive tourist voucher for recreation they will not be returned back because they are ‘blacklisted’, i.e. temporary banned to leave the country.
Who can be put on the ‘black list’?
According to the presidential decree of 17 December 2007 About the simplification of the order of departure from the Republic of Belarus restriction of foreign travels can be imposed on the citizens who either know the information that is a state secret, are suspects or accused in criminal cases. Leaving Belarus is also banned for those who have not paid their penalties or evade from military service. The persons who receive civil suits are an especial category – the term of travel restrictions to them is to be determined by the court.
According to the Ministry of Interior, at present there are about 100 000 surnames in the ‘black list’. During the first days of 2008 up to 40 ‘blacklisted’ citizens were discovered on the border. Now at least 12-15 persons are detained on the border for the same reason.
Who is not allowed to cross the border?
