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Belarusians who fled repression face new hurdles as they try to rebuild their lives abroad

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians who fled repression in their homeland face the prospect of having invalid documents after authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree halting passport renewals abroad. Many of these self-exiles left Belarus amid a harsh government crackdown over the disputed 2020 presidential election, and a return home means they risk being arrested. Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged them not to go back, saying, “Not a single document in the world is worth human freedom.” She says she and other exiled opposition figures are creating new passports that they hope other nations will recognize as valid.

Article Topic Follows: AP National News

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