KGB refuses to return passport of a leader of the UCP :: Charter'97 :: News

Igar Shinkarik, deputy head of the united Civil party could not leave for Lithuania on January 24. At the department on citizenship and migration of the Partizansky district division for internal affairs of Minsk he was informed that his passport had been with KGB.

According to the press service of the party, a week ago Igar Shinkarik submitted the document for extending his exit stamp. In compliance with the pricelist, he paid for a year stamp validity and for urgency. He was due to collect the passport on January 24 and leave for Vilnius to participate in the meeting of democratic forces of Belarus.

“Before collecting my passport I gave my name,” Igar Shinkarik reported to the press service of the United Civil Party.”The receptionist gave me a strange glance and asked ”Where do you work?” I answered” I am from the United Civil Party.” ”Everything is clear then, your passport is with the KGB,” replied the receptionist.

It is to be mentioned, that a year ago it was Anatol Lyabedzka, head of the United Civil Party, who faced the same problem with his passport collection. Then he wrote a letter to the KGB concerning the violation of his constitutional right of free border crossing and promised picketing the KGB building until he would be given his passport with a stamp back. “I believe, that the perspective of seeing me every day at the KGB building was not to Stepan Sukharenka’s liking. I was asked to the visa department once again and collected my passport there. Truly speaking, the stamp was given not for three years, as I had asked, but for two,” Anatol Lyabedzka told then.