US citizens urged to leave eastern European country

No American should travel to Belarus and those already there should leave at first opportunity, the US State Department has advised.

Washington sanctioned Minsk in 2020, alleging election irregularities, and went on to close its embassy and consulates in the country after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2022.

“US citizens in Belarus should depart immediately,” said the advisory, which drew public notice on Monday although it was originally dated December 18.

The State Department urged Americans not to travel to Belarus due to its government’s alleged “arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the risk of detention” and “potential of civil unrest.”

Washington also cited “heightened volatility and the unpredictable nature of the regional security environment,” including Minsk’s aid to Moscow in the conflict with Kiev.

“Reconsider bringing electronic devices into Belarus,” the advisory added, urging Americans to assume that all communications inside the country are “monitored by Belarusian security services” and noting that individuals have been arrested based on information found on their phones or computers that was “created, transmitted, or stored while in another country.”

Americans who decide to travel to Belarus anyway should not use their social media and log out of accounts, the State Department said. They were also advised to “avoid public demonstrations” because they might face the possibility of arrest or detention and would not be able to receive diplomatic assistance.

As there have been no public protests in Belarus in several months, the US government’s advisory prompted speculation online that Western-backed unrest might be forthcoming. However, a note on the advisory said it was “reissued after periodic review without changes” and the example cited for irregular arrest was the May 2021 detention of opposition activist Roman Protasevich.