Passport Ban Outrage

Alyaksandr Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, signed a directive that virtually forbids Belarusians who live abroad from renewing their passports, a decision that has received international criticism.

The new regulation mandates that citizens return to Belarus in order to extend the validity of their travel documents, a necessity that has many expats dejected and fearful of legal ramifications.

The U.S. Department of State swiftly condemned Lukashenko's choice. According to spokesperson Matthew Miller, "This is a cynical violation of a country's obligations to its citizens abroad and a blatant disregard for the interests of Belarusians living abroad."

According to the statement, which was cited by Reuters, the rule merely serves to further persecute and retaliate against Belarusians who have fled their home country to escape a government that cracks down on dissent.

The new law has broad repercussions that touch not just the individuals but also their families.

The U.S. Department of State issued a statement in which it issued a warning. "This will not only make it difficult for families to obtain citizenship and travel documents for their children, but it will also result in Belarusians abroad losing control over their properties and homes in Belarus," the statement read.

The world community sees this as yet another repressive measure taken by the Lukashenko administration to make life challenging for Belarusians who have fled their country.

Since 1994, Belarus has been governed by President Alexander Lukashenko with an iron grip. Opposition leaders face severe punishments for organising protests.

Belarus rose to prominence as one of the most prosperous regions of the USSR during the post-World War II era, but economic deterioration followed Belarus's independence.

The nation is significantly reliant on Russian energy supplies, and President Lukashenko has vehemently opposed privatising state-owned businesses.

Alexander Lukashenko, who is frequently referred to as Europe's last dictator, has been reelected as president in elections that the opposition and outside observers have criticised as unfair and undemocratic.

Mr. Lukashenko, a former director of the national farm, won his first election as president in 1994 as a result of his dynamic leadership of the legislative anti-corruption committee.

While preserving autocratic authority at home, he has managed to strike a balance between overtures to the West and Russia, his closest economic and political partner.

Because of political oppression, the EU, UK, USA, and Canada have all placed sanctions against Belarus; additional penalties were applied in 2022 as a result of the nation's participation in the invasion of Ukraine.

The ongoing drive to stifle political change after the contested 2020 presidential election includes the continued persecution of independent media, bloggers, and online activists.

Since then, numerous media outlets have closed and dozens of journalists have been detained, but some still run their businesses from overseas.

Online is the only bastion of free speech, but accessing it is difficult and possibly hazardous due to harsh media regulation, which includes labelling critical outlets as "extremist."

By July 2022, there were 8 million internet users. Comprising 85% of the population (Internetworldstats.com). The most well-known social network is VKontakte in Russia.

Eastern European landlocked nation of Belarus. The smallest of the three Slavic republics included in the Soviet Union before its independence in 1991 was Belarus, sometimes known as Belorussia or White Russia (the larger two being Russia and Ukraine).

Despite having a distinctive ethnic identity and language, Belarusians only briefly experienced political unification and statehood in 1918.

A significant portion of Belarus' history is intertwined with those of its neighbours. Since gaining its independence, Belarus has maintained close ties with Russia, its most powerful neighbour.