Of the tens of thousands of those who went abroad after the 2020 elections and the start of the war against Ukraine, only 300 people wished to return through the commission. Even fewer returned in reality.
Prosecutor General of Belarus Andrei Shved gave an interview to SB. Belarus Segodnya on the occasion of the Day of Prosecutor's Office Workers.
A journalist from a pro-government publication asked the following question: "Some of the fugitives have long wanted to return home. Are there many such requests?"
The official's answer to this question is known for sure – he is the one who heads the "return commission" that appeared in Belarus in 2023.
,,-The commission for considering appeals from citizens of the Republic of Belarus on issues related to their commission of offenses began its work in February 2023. To date, the commission has received about 300 appeals, - the Prosecutor General said.
According to him, in 2025, the number of "fugitives" wishing to return to Belarus has doubled.
"The citizens who wrote to the commission reported their desire to return to their homeland, bring their children here, their readiness to live and work for the good of the country, to help close relatives, many of whom have reached retirement age," says Shved. "After returning to the country, they told reporters about their lives abroad. After watching such reports, you understand what a high level of protection of citizens' rights is in Belarus."
By the way, in February 2025, Andrei Shved said that only 241 people applied to the return commission. But only 20 people returned to their homeland, who "told the truth about how they lived abroad, what the real attitude is towards Belarusians."
This commission considers appeals from Belarusians wishing to return and then reports whether the authorities have any claims against a specific emigrant. However, this does not guarantee anything: people have been detained even after appealing to the commission and subsequently returning to Belarus.
Let us recall that the "return commission" was created after a meeting with Lukashenka on January 24, 2023, and was intended to work with people wishing to return to their homeland who "committed administrative offenses or protest-related crimes in the period from January 1, 2020, until the entry into force of this decree, and are afraid of returning to the country due to their possible involvement in committing such offenses and crimes." Lukashenka signed the corresponding decree on February 6 of the same year. On October 17, 2024, it became known that the commission's powers had been expanded, enabling it to consider applications from individuals residing in Belarus.
When submitting a request to return to Belarus, you must "repent of what you have done and inform the commission of your readiness to publicly apologize upon your return, compensate for the damage caused, comply with the Constitution and legislation of Belarus, respect state symbols and national traditions, and consciously and actively fulfill your civic duty."
Tessa Oneida / AB belsat.eu
