Restrictions of rights in the daily life of Volnyja
How do restrictions on the rights of free politicians affect their everyday life?
A little earlier, together with the human rights organization Human Constanta, we talked about the types of restrictions on the rights of convicted people after execution. Today, too, with Human Constanta , we understand how these and other restrictions affect the everyday life of free Belarusians.
How are the rights limited in the daily life of the Free?
In addition to measures of preventive accounting, preventive surveillance and preventive supervision, former political prisoners face other restrictions in their lives almost every day.
We collected the main questions and made an overview of the real prohibitions, difficulties and threats that political prisoners live with after their release.
Is it possible for freed political prisoners to go abroad?
The ban on traveling abroad is a fairly arbitrary measure. Some Volnyja are issued a ban on their first visit to the Police Department after release, some receive it later, and other people do not encounter it at all.
Even if travel abroad is not restricted, ex-convicts end up in various border bases, due to which they face increased surveillance and interrogation upon returning to Belarus.
Is it possible to go abroad for Volnyja?
The reasons for the ban on traveling abroad may be the following circumstances:
You can check the official reasons for the ban on travel abroad on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Is it possible NOT to open the door to authorized employees during preventive visits?
In practice, the visits of security forces can take place without warning and at any hour of the day, but not less often than once a month .
If a person does not open the door for a long time, the security forces begin to find out about the location of Volnyja people from neighbors or at work, they can even draw up a report on an administrative offense.
! Sometimes they threaten to open a criminal case if a person repeatedly violates the requirements of prevention. Be aware: a certain number of administrative offenses may result in criminal liability.
What is checked during preventive visits?
They look at gadgets - laptops, smartphones, tablets and desktop computers - and look for subscriptions to "extremist resources" or reposts from them.
Security forces ensure that former political associates do not give interviews or comments to independent media, recognized as "extremist", about the details of the conditions of detention while serving their sentence or about their case in general.
Important! Former politicians are at risk of repeated persecution on political grounds. Security forces carry out raids in regional cities, during which they conduct searches, check phones for the presence of "extremism" in them, and then detain and bring them to justice. First of all, former political prisoners.
Do they watch less if there is an official Volnyja's job?
The frequency of visits is reduced when a person gets a job. But finding a job after a conviction is very difficult, and the state can only offer a low-skilled type of salary.
Can Volnyja bank accounts be blocked?
Some people who have been included in the "extremist" or "terrorist" list actually have all their accounts and bank cards blocked without the possibility of opening new ones. Due to this, Volnyja cannot get a legal job in both public and private institutions, because the payment of salary is possible only if there is an account. People cannot withdraw money they have accumulated in the past from their blocked accounts.
In addition to bank accounts, mobile operator accounts may be blocked.
Despite all the restrictions, we stay close.
Contact Volnyja and Human Constanta for support.
And take care of yourself!
