Human rights defenders welcomes lifting of the travel ban for Stefanovich

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders welcomes the official lifting of the travel ban for Valentin Stefanovich.

On July 16, 2012 the Tsentralny District Court of Minsk was expected to determine whether both theMinistry of Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs should remove Mr. Valentin Stefanovich fromthe travel ban list. During a new court session held on July 20, Mr. Aliaksei Biahun, Head of theInterior Ministry’s Immigration and Citizenship Department, presented official documents confirmingthe removal of Mr. Stefanovich from the blacklist. The case was therefore dismissed by the judge.

This case had been brought before the court at the request of Mr. Stefanovich on March 27, 2012,after he was stopped at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border crossing point “Kamenny Loh” on March11, 2012 and was told that he was banned from leaving the territory of the Republic of Belarus, as hisname was reportedly registered in the database of those subject to.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders,a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT).