Belarus to deport head of advocacy group to Russia
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 November 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Belarus to deport head of advocacy group to Russia, 5 November 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/548ea83111.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 05, 2014
By RFE/RL's Belarus Service
The head of a Minsk-based group that advocates basic freedoms is facing deportation to Russia.
A court in Belarus said on November 5 that Yelena Tonkachyova, head of the Lawtrend Legal Transformation Center, must be deported by December 5 and banned from entering Belarus for three years.
Tonkachyova, a Russian citizen who has been living in Belarus since 1985, was informed on October 30 that her residence permit had been annulled.
Authorities said the decision was based on her violation of a traffic regulation.
Lawtrend promotes freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right of access to information, justice, and a fair trial.
It has been operating in Minsk since 1996.
Tonkachyova has said she has no place to stay in Russia as all her relatives are Belarusian citizens.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
