Valery Shchukin Banned to Go Abroad

06.03.2008. Tags: Shchukin, Liabedzka.
Source: Charter`97.

Former deputy of the Supreme Soviet Valery Shchukin wasn’t allowed to leave Belarus. He couldn’t fly to Germany from Minsk and flew there from Russia.

‘I have recently tried to cross the Belarusian border legally – I was invited to Germany’, Valery Shchukin said to Belorusski Partizan. ‘But the border guards didn’t allow me to leave the country and said my name was in the list of those who are restricted to exit Belarus.

I don’t know why I’m prohibited to leave Belarus. I have no ‘sins’. Moreover, last year I received a permission stamp in passport for travelling abroad, if I had any debts to the state, I wouldn’t have received the permission.’

It’s worthy to note that Valer Shchukin went to Germany after all. Through Russia.

‘The Belarusian border guards were surprized, to say the least of it, to see me coming back to Belarus, according to their lists, I stayed in the country!’ Shchukin tells. ‘But they couldn’t ban me entry... Of course, I wrote a letter to Prosecutor General Ryhor Vasilevich, where I ask to examine the situation and punish the guilty. I’m waiting for an answer...’

It’s not the first case when the authorities don’t let opposition representatives go abroad. For example, Anatol Liabedzka, leader of the United Civil Party, is restricted to travel abroad. Anzhalika Borys wasn’t allowed to go to Poland several times. A stamp in passport, which by the way has two grammatical mistakes, is becoming a means of deterrence of opposition.