The U.S. government has urged its citizens to leave Belarus immediately and has renewed its “no travel” (level 4) advisory for the country because of the serious risks to Americans. This is stated in the relevant statements, published on the official website of the US State Department.
The main reasons for such measures were the arbitrary application of local legislation, the threat of illegal detention, as well as Alexander Lukashenko’s support for Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The document reminds that after the closing of the US Embassy in Minsk on February 28, 2022, US citizens do not have access to consular services in Belarus. In case of detention, especially for dual nationals, consular support may be denied.
In addition, the Belarusian authorities can close border crossings with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine without warning, which creates the risk of isolating foreigners in the country.
The State Department also noted that the security services of Belarus monitor electronic communications. There are known cases of foreigners being detained because of information found on their devices, even if it was created outside the country.
