{"id":111628,"date":"2024-10-29T13:10:43","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T10:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/111628\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"us-senate-to-debate-recognition-of-expired-belarusian-passports","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/111628\/","title":{"rendered":"US Senate to debate recognition of expired Belarusian passports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 29, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> United States Senator Benjamin Cardin, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, introduced a bill that would allow the recognition of expired Belarusian passports in the US, according to congress.gov<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to the 2023 Belarusian ban on passport services abroad, the Bridge Act dated September 19 notes that Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka placed exiled Belarusian activists “at risk of detention and torture” by forcing them to come to Belarus to renew their passports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If approved, the bill would allow the use of expired Belarusian passports for travel to and from the United States as long as it remains unsafe for an exiled Belarusian national to return home for passport renewal. The procedure should be developed within 90 days, the document says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European Union agencies should “provide legal documentation to enable international travel to appropriately vetted Belarusian individuals in exile who face a credible threat of persecution in Belarus,” it stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill also provides for the designation of Belarusians as “a homeless nationality” in order to process their visa applications until the US resumes consular services in Minsk. Currently, 10 countries have this status, including Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja has thanked Cardin “for being a true friend and ally of Belarusians” and his “unwavering commitment\u201d to the freedom of Belarusians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Police brand 20 "Cichano\u016dskaja's think-tankers" as extremists<\/h3>\n
October 28, Pozirk. Belarusian authorities on Friday added 50 people to the list of persons "involved in extremist activity," including a group of experts nicknamed by officials and propagandists "Cichano\u016dskaja's think-tankers." All of them \u2013 Ryhor Astapenia, Filip Bikana\u016d, Alaksandar …<\/div>\n \n