Belarus court cancels deportation order for opposition party spokeswoman
Anna Krasulina. Photo from Anatol Lyabedzka's Facebook page
United Civil Party spokeswoman Anna Krasulina will not be deported from Belarus, reports Radio Liberty. Minsk's Maskouski District Court on Wednesday ruled to cancel the deportation order for Krasulina. The court based the ruling on her complaint against the move by a Belarus district migration officials.
It took the court two days to issue the ruling. Euroradio reported earlier that the police officials had referred to a restricted document, which they refused to show to Krasulina. According to the police, the woman is a threat to public order.
The reasons migration officials cited for her deportation for one year included a single unpaid ride on public transport -- though she said she has already paid a fine for that - and participation in two unsanctioned pickets in 2016 and 2017.
During the court hearing, attorney Natallia Matskevich drew the attention of the judge to the fact that Krasulina looks after two elderly parents and is herself a Category III disabled person. The lawyer said she found it hard to imagine how a 50-year-old disabled woman with her family, children and sick parents living in Belarus would be able to live for one year outside the country. Natalia Matskevich called Krasulina being described as a threat to public order an absurdity.
A migration official said in her speech that the deportation of Krasulina was of preventive nature.
