Homel resident facing travel restrictions nine months after acquittal

On 20 December, Homel resident Yauhen Dzedushkin was not allowed to cross the Belarusian border as he was going to Vilnius.

The border department officials said Mr. Dzedushkin was on a travel ban list due to criminal charges he was allegedly facing. Meanwhile, Yauhen Dzedushkin was acquitted by the Supreme Court back in the spring of 2011, which however was not reported to Homel police officials.

“I think this is an act of revenge by the law enforcement agencies, as officials of various levels threatened to avenge themselves on me when I was appealing the verdict. As a result, I have been deprived of my freedom of free movement”, says Yauhen Dzedushkin.

Yauhen Dzedushkin was convicted of a series of arsons back in 2008. On 24 March 2011, Homel Regional Court acquitted him, and in summer the Supreme Court upheld the acquittal.