Stefanovich's complaints are still forwarded to Ministry of Defense
On 11 March the vice-head of the Human
Rights Center
"Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich was prevented from leaving for Lithuania. He
was stopped by the Belarusian border guards at the crossing point "Kamenny
Loh" and stated that he was prohibited to leave Belarus.
At first Mr. Stefanivich appealed the unlawful limitation of his freedom of
movement to the Office of the Prosecutor General and was answered that his
appeal was forwarded to the Ministry of Defense.
On 27 March the activist applied to the Partyzanski District Police Department
of Minsk. The police filed an inquiry with the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus which had allegedly provided
information, on the basis of which he had been put on the list of the prohibited
to travel abroad.
The reason for it was that Mr. Stefanovich allegedly evaded from measures
connected to military service. However, he is 12 years older than the maximally
allowed age of call-up, and served in the army in 1990-1992. That's why he
applied to the Partyzanski District Military Enlistment Office and was answered
that no decisions on imposing foreign travel restrictions on him had been taken
there.
However, the head of the Partyzanski District Police Department A.Parashchuk
gave a written answer to the applicant, in which it was stated that
"information about the citizens who are temporary prohibited to leave the
territory of the Republic of Belarus in connection for the failure to appear at
measures connected with the call-up to army service are put in the database by
military enlistment offices". That's why police officers had no relation
to introducing Stefanovich in the database. Stefanovich's appeal was again
forwarded to the Ministry of Defense.
After this, only one thing was left for Valiantsin Stefanovich – to appeal the
foreign travel restrictions to court. On 21 March he filed an appeal with the
Tsentralny District Court of Minsk.
