- Source: New Belarus passport project
The New Belarus passport project was initiated by the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus (a government-in-exile) to provide legal identification for the citizens of Belarus emigrated for political reasons, in response to the decree of President Alexander Lukashenko forbidding the issuance and renewal of Belarusian passports abroad. For the oppositionists to return to Belarus for passport renewal means an imminent prosecution.
History
The exiled Belarusian opposition started discussing this idea in 2020. The Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thought of it as a rather symbolic gesture. However, with the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in which Belarus was indirectly, but considerably involved, the treatment of the idea became more serious. Tikhanouskaya first put forth this idea before the European Union and European countries in March 2023 and seeks support from them in this endeavor.
Issues
Businessman Viktor Shevtsov, an oligarch dubbed "Lukashenko's wallet", is indirectly connected with the project via Lithuanian passport printing companies called Garsų Pasaulis and GP Holographics. Garsų Pasaulis, selected to print the passports, claimed following the outbreak of the war, they severed all ties with him, however he retains shares of related company GP Holographics, both companies sharing the same address, administrator and accountant. Garsų Pasaulis also produces passports for Lithuania, who is now investigating the ties between GP and Shevtsov and whether the company should still be allowed to produce the passports, given the sanctions. Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė said that after the investigation was complete, a decision would be made regarding whether GP should be allowed to continue printing the passports.
While there are a variety travel documents issued by some states, such as laissez-passer, they cannot resolve a number of legal services. Therefore, the full-fledged passport is a rather pressing issue for the Belarusian opposition in exile.
The two fundamental issues to be resolved are the legal recognition and international security standards for the document, of which the legal recognition is the most complex issue. A related issue is that passports have to have a unique three-letter country code. There is a preliminary agreement with an undisclosed country that it would share its code.
See also
Nansen passport
Notes
References
External links
https://www.belarus-passport.com/