Belarusians abroad found a use for the invalid Belarusian passport
Its value, including historical, has significantly increased.
At a meeting with Belarusians in Gdańsk, Pavel Seviarynets was asked to leave an autograph in an invalid Belarusian passport. The previous page of the document already bore the signature of a Nobel laureate.
«This is the first time in my life I've signed a Belarusian passport. Ales Bialiatski had already signed the previous page,» Pavel Seviarynets said.
He clarified that the passport is already invalid, so the signatures cannot spoil the document. «But the feelings are unique nonetheless,» he added.
In 2023, the Lukashenka authorities banned the issuance and exchange of passports at diplomatic missions abroad. To obtain a new document, a person must return to Belarus, which most Belarusians cannot do because they face political persecution. UN experts called this part of the policy of punishing Belarusians in exile.