Belarusian authorities denied visa to Chairperson of Norwegian Helsinki Committee

The Belarusian Embassy in Stockholm refused to issue a visa to the Chairperson of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Björn Engesland. His passport was returned to him with a seal that bans him from entering the territory of Belarus. No explanations were offered by officers of the embassy.

The Chairperson of the Human Rights Center Viasna Ales Bialiatski calls this denial quite eloquent: ‘It clearly shows the attitude of the Belarusian authorities to the question of human rights in the country,’ stressed the human rights defender.

Bear in mind that earlier the Belarusian Embassy in Stockholm denied visa to another human rights activist, the head of the Swedish human rights organization Östgruppen Martin Uggla.