Half of the country won’t be allowed to go abroad, will they?

Justice Ministry is to collect information from courts about Belarusian citizens for whom leaving abroad is temporarily limited.

“Persons eluding performance of obligations imposed by the court for a term set by the court, but no longer than to the moment when obligations are performed, are included into this category,” Justice Ministry stated.

Persons, against whom civil proceedings had been commenced, are included to this category as well, for a term defined by the court, but not before the end of judicial proceedings, and accused in a criminal case, until the end of criminal persecution.

Citizens who are to compensate expenses for raising children, paying alimony, paying damages caused by a crime, can be included in that category. “Persons having some obligations to citizens, legal entities and the state, who hadn’t performed their obligations, would be temporarily limited in the execution of their right for leaving the country,” the Ministry explained.

On the day of its receiving by Justice Ministry, the whole information is forwarded to the Interior Ministry for a database of Belarusian citizens whose right for leaving abroad is temporarily restricted.

Thus, in case somebody hasn’t paid some fine, for instance, for road traffic offence (crossing the street in a wrong place), for being a free rider, or for illegal parking; or in a case your relative or neighbour has filed a civil suit against you, even when it hasn’t been proved your are guilty, when proceedings are pending, a citizen won’t be allowed to go abroad for a business trip or holidays.