An Iranian citizen had lived in Belarus since 2015. For security reasons, the man's name is not disclosed. He had a temporary residence permit and worked as a doctor. In April of this year, the man was detained in Minsk, subjected to pressure from the KGB, and as a result, was deported until 2056, reports "Viasna".
Detention for a repost and 9 hours in the KGB
The reason for the persecution was forwarding a post from a Belarusian protest public, recognized by the Belarusian authorities as "extremist material," in private Instagram messages.
The man was detained in the morning and taken to the KGB building, where he was held for nine hours. According to the man, security forces openly threatened him, taking advantage of his vulnerable position:
"They told me that if I didn't do what they wanted, they would do what they wanted, because no one knew where I was."
The detainee was demanded to record a video in which he was to declare support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran's spiritual leader.
Agency employees promised that if such a video was recorded, he would not be deported on an "Iranian case," but he would still have to serve time for an offense in Belarus.
As a result, the court sentenced the Iranian to 15 days of administrative arrest under Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (distribution of extremist materials). He served his sentence in the Akrestsin Street detention center.
15 days without shower, walks, and with fleas
The man described the conditions of detention at Akrestsin Street detention center: "It was very dirty and cold there. There were fleas biting me every second. They didn't even give me antihistamines (a medicine that relieves allergy symptoms). They constantly shouted, calling me a 'bandit'. When I was detained for political reasons, they didn't even let me out for fresh air. All these 15 days I was without a shower and without hygiene products. There were two other Belarusians with me in the cell, also detained for political reasons. In other cells, there were detainees for drugs — their conditions were better than ours."
The man emphasizes that he left Iran and lived in Belarus since 2015 precisely because of the difficult political situation in his homeland.
He could not turn to his country's diplomats for help, as he faces persecution up to the death penalty in Iran. "Due to the situation in Iran, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic handed me over to the KGB."
Deportation and entry ban until 2056
After serving 15 days of arrest at Akrestsin Street, the doctor was taken to the Citizenship and Migration Department. There, he was assured that the deportation would be issued for five years, and no stamp prohibiting entry would be put in his passport.
However, the promises diverged from reality. At the airport, the man was held for about 40 minutes, after which a stamp was indeed put in his documents: his entry into the Republic of Belarus is prohibited for the maximum term — 30 years, until 2056.
It is reported that the deportation to Iran was prevented — the man was sent to a third country. He is safe.
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