{"id":11472,"date":"2022-09-09T17:20:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T14:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/citizenship-loss-unlikely-to-force-opponents-into-silence\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"citizenship-loss-unlikely-to-force-opponents-into-silence","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11472\/","title":{"rendered":"Citizenship loss unlikely to force opponents into silence"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Alaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t * Reproduction prohibited\n<\/p>\n

\n A lawyer who fled Belarus for fear of politically motivated persecution has shrugged off the authorities\u2019 move to strip opponents of their citizenship. The interior minister discussed a bill to that effect with the Belarusian ruler on September 6.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

Regime seeks to punish, silence critics<\/h2>\n

\n\t The Belarusian interior ministry has drafted legislation that would allow courts to strip Belarusians of their citizenship, \u0141uka\u0161enka’s press office reported, citing Interior Minister Ivan Kubrako\u016d.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The legislation targets those convicted of extremism or causing serious harm to the interests of Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The legislation seems to run counter to the constitution enacted by the Belarusian strongman through a referendum in February. Article 10 provides that \u201cno one shall be stripped of citizenship of the Republic of Belarus.\u201d However, the following sentence says that \u201ccitizenship may be obtained and annulled in accordance with law.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The Belarusian authorities have labeled any critics of the government as extremists in the last two years.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t In a recent incident, the Committee for State Security (KGB) included the transition cabinet formed by opponents abroad as an extremist group. The cabinet is led by \u015aviatlana Cichano\u016dskaja who challenged \u0141uka\u0161enka in the 2020 presidential race and disputed his victory, citing evidence of massive fraud.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t So, the bill is clearly politically motivated.\n<\/p>\n

Attempt to intimidate and silence critics <\/h2>\n

\n\t Michai\u0142 Kiryluk, a lawyer who fled Belarus for fear of political persecution and is staying in Warsaw, noted that the legislation is designed to intimidate and silence government critics. The authorities are likely to use it for pinpointed attacks on most prominent opposition figures such as Cichano\u016dskaja and Pavie\u0142 \u0141atu\u0161ka.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Once \u0141uka\u0161enka strips them of citizenship, he may argue that they are not worth of voter support because they cannot come back and run for president, Kiryluk said.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The government and state propaganda are likely to portray people targeted by the measure as ordinary criminals, he told The Viewer.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Kiryluk shrugged of the threat: \u201cI have been de facto stripped of citizenship already. I cannot run in an election or expect Belarusian police to protect me. If I come back home, they will arrest and beat me. Our public agreement with the Belarusian authorities has been terminated. I don\u2019t lose anything de jure.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He added that the legislation will not stop opposition leaders from criticizing \u0141uka\u0161enka and his policies.\n<\/p>\n

Expulsion seen as attempt to shore up support <\/h2>\n

\n\t Apart from mere revenge, the Belarusian government may be trying to reduce the physical presence of opponents in the country and increase the presence of loyalists, said Andrej Kazakievi\u010d, director of the Political Sphere think tank.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u0141uka\u0161enka has vowed to strip exiled opposition leaders of citizenship, and he has also granted citizenship to thousands of people arriving from eastern Ukraine, probably hoping for their political support and loyalty. The Belarusian leader is aware that most Belarusian voters disapprove of his policies and performance. He fears that they may be waiting for a chance to unseat him.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Kazakievi\u010d noted that the experiment with expulsions and citizenship is likely to fail because not many foreigners are seeking citizenship of a country run by a dictator.\n<\/p>\n

Attempt to intimidate Karta Polaka holders<\/h2>\n

\n\t During the September 6 conference with officials, \u0141uka\u0161enka also expressed discontent that many Belarusians have obtained Karta Polaka (a Pole\u2019s card), an identification document confirming belonging to the Polish nation that gives its holders the right to work and do business in Poland.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u201cWe need to figure out whether they are Belarusian citizens, or they are simply misguided people, simply obtained the card allegedly incidentally, or they have a different identity.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Minsk has been at odds with Warsaw in the last two years, so \u0141uka\u0161enka may be seeing Karta Polaka as a sign of support and sympathy for Poland.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Officials may be thinking of ways to punish Karta Polaka holders, Kazakievi\u010d said. But taking away citizenship from all holders is a risk because such a campaign would affect the business elite and officials \u201cwho have obtained Karta Polaka for their wives and children,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The Ministry of Internal Affairs suggested that Belarusians be required to report to \u201crelevant authorities\u201d when they are granted foreign citizenship or preferences such as a Pole\u2019s Card, Interior Minister Ivan Kubrako\u016d said after the conference.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians may soon be seeking to obtain Karta Polaka because of the grim outlook for their country under this regime, Kiryluk said.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u201c\u0141uka\u0161enka sees it as a problem . . . failure of his policy. If masses flee the country because of your policy, maybe you are not such a good president,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the regime seeks to punish these people.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Alaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN * Reproduction prohibited A lawyer who fled Belarus for fear of politically motivated persecution has shrugged off the authorities\u2019 move to strip opponents of their citizenship. The interior minister discussed a bill to that effect with the Belarusian ruler on September 6. Regime seeks to punish, silence critics The Belarusian interior ministry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[24],"class_list":["post-11472","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCitizenship loss unlikely to force opponents into silence | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Alaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN * Reproduction prohibited A lawyer who fled Belarus for fear of politically motivated persecution has shrugged off the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11472\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Citizenship loss unlikely to force opponents into silence | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta 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