Journalist Mikhail Yanchuk allowed to leave Belarus

Two journalists are still restricted from travelling abroad.

The State Department on Citizenship and Migration removed Belsat TV journalist Mikhail Yanchuk from the database of persons restricted to leave the country. Two journalists still remain on the list of persons banned from leaving Belarus  – chief editor of Nasha Niva newspaper Andrei Dynko and Andrei Sannikov's spokesman at the presidential election Alyaksnadr Atroshchankau, Radio Svaboda reminds.

“I called the Interior Ministry today. I was invited to visit the ministry at 2:30 p.m. to receive a copy of a document saying I was removed from the blacklist. I talked to Mikhail Hryb, who is a deputy head of the citizenship and migration department, as I remember. He said they took a decision regarding my case and I could receive a copy of the notification. I haven't read the content yet, but they said the reason was a 'technical glitch', of course. I think it's a step forward in comparison with what we had before. But there are cases when people, who were put on the database due to technical glitches and later removed from it, were again restricted to leave the country, this time on KGB requests. It means we have a country of constant technical bugs,” Mikhail Yanchuk said.  

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau was put on the blacklist due to a fine he already paid.

“I went to the citizenship and migration department two months ago and they said I am banned from leaving the country. The reason was  the fine the court issued to me after Syarhei Kalyakin, Anatol Lyabedzka and I were taken off the train. Of course, it was absolutely illegal. I had the court decision late in the evening, but I was barred from leaving the country next morning, though I had ten days to appeal against the judgement. I appealed against it. The fine was small, I paid it quickly. Nevertheless, they imposed a travel ban  on me. I did not have any other explanations regarding the incident. I am going to visit the migration department in the nearest time,” he said.