GENEVA - UN experts* today expressed serious concern over the arbitrary invalidation of passports of eight former Belarusian political prisoners forcibly expelled from Belarus after their release from detention, warning the measure may amount to a continuing form of transnational repression and expose them to risks of statelessness and other human rights violations.
"The sequence of politically motivated imprisonment, forced expulsion and subsequent invalidation of passports points to an escalating pattern of transnational repression," the experts said.
The eight individuals were forcibly expelled to Lithuania or Ukraine on 13 December 2025, where they discovered that their Belarusian passports had been unilaterally declared invalid despite remaining formally valid at the time of their expulsion. None received any official notification, decision or explanation.
"The arbitrary invalidation of identity documents can severely affect a person's right to freedom of movement, family life, legal status and access to employment, healthcare, banking services and other essential rights," the experts said.
The experts recalled that they raised similar concerns in their 8 December 2025 public statement following the deportation of Belarusian political prisoners to Lithuania, and in a 22 October 2025 communication. The Group of Independent Experts on the human rights situation in Belarus also strongly condemned these actions. They also recalled their past concerns related to the 2023 Belarusian Presidential Decree on consular services, which put an end to the issuance and extension of identity documents in Belarusian consular services abroad.
The experts noted that Belarus had accepted recommendations to continue efforts aimed at reducing statelessness and to move towards accession to the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions during its 2025 Universal Periodic Review.
The experts highlighted concerns regarding Leanid Sudalenka, a former political prisoner, human rights defender and former head of the Gomel branch of the Human Rights Centre Viasna. Following his release from prison in 2023, Sudalenka left Belarus due to continuing persecution. He was subsequently convicted in absentia under Belarus' 'special proceedings' framework and is now reportedly facing three additional criminal investigations for "extremist" offences related to his human rights activities and public expression.
"Belarus must urgently cease using its vague and overly broad anti-extremism legislation to punish the legitimate exercise of protected rights."
The experts recalled previous concerns about Belarus' 'special proceedings', warning that the procedure is incompatible with fundamental fair trial guarantees, including the rights to effective notification, access to case materials, legal representation, meaningful appeal and effective remedy.
"Continuing criminal proceedings against Mr. Sudalenka, his inclusion in wanted-person databases and his inability to safely return to Belarus to reunite with his family illustrate the lasting and harmful effects of transnational repression, which seeks to intimidate, punish and silence human rights defenders even after they have left their country," they said.
The experts have requested clarification from the Government of Belarus and continue to monitor the situation.
