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Belarus travel safety advice


Belarus travel safety advice

As of January 2009, US-Belarus relations are quite strained. In April 2008, in protest to the continued economic sanctions by the US, a complaint over the takeover of embassy staff housing, as well as a high-profile meeting in 2005 by then Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Belarussian opposition leaders, Belarus expelled the US ambassador and all but 5 staff at the US embassy, . At this time the US embassy in Minsk provides only emergency services. All other services (passport renewal, birth abroad reports, registration, marriage reports, and more) have been suspended. It is conceivable that these strained relations can affect the quality of service American citizens receive from both the government and the embassy in the event of trouble.

Belarus has a moderate level of crime. Fortunately, crimes against foreigners are rare, though criminals have been known to use force if met with resistance from victims. Common street crime, such as mugging and pickpocketing, occurs most frequently near public transportation venues, near hotels frequented by foreigners, and/or at night in poorly lighted areas. In many areas, you should be especially alert in metro and bus stations, as criminals have a likely chance in attacking you. Avoid visiting night clubs and discotheques, as these are operated by criminal gangs willing to search for greater money, but street-level organized criminal violence is rare and does not generally affect expatriates. Cyber-crime of all kinds is well-developed in Belarus. Merchandise orders with fraudulent credit cards, ID theft, hacking/blackmail schemes, and Nigerian-style advanced fee fraud are gaining in popularity. If you are doing business with persons or firms in Belarus electronically, you should proceed with extreme caution. Not only is electronic fraud common at ATMs and grocery stores, serious injuries have been inflicted during assaults at street-side ATMs. If you participate in a street demonstration with political banners, expect to be detained within minutes. How fast you get out (24 hours or 24 days) depends on your connections, your social status, etc. Westerners especially should avoid any political discussions, protests, etc. due to the government's keen opposition to dissenting views. Belarus is still largely a discriminatory society. Gay and lesbian travelers face widespread discrimination in Belarus, as do Jews. If you are under any of these categories, it is best not to not travel to Belarus in the first place. Aforementioned demonstrations can be identified by seeing a red and white banner, a white background, with a strip of red going horizontally across in the center, forming a white red white flag. If you see said flag, do your best to stay away from the demonstration. Security personnel may at times place you, as a foreigner, under surveillance; hotel rooms, telephones, and fax machines may be monitored, and personal possessions in hotel rooms may be searched. Taking photographs of anything that could be perceived as being of military or security interest may result in problems with authorities; these sites are not always clearly marked and application of these restrictions is subject to interpretation. Visible and hidden dangers exist, including potholes, unlighted or poorly lighted streets, inattentive and dark-clothed pedestrians walking on unlighted roads, drivers and pedestrians under the influence of alcohol, and disregard for traffic rules. Driving in winter is especially dangerous because of ice and snow. Drivers are urged to exercise caution at all times. The KGB in Belarus has not changed its name since the days of the Soviet Union - it is still called the KGB, and its habits have probably not changed much either. Some ethnic Polish journalists and journalists with Polish citizenship had hassles with the authorities (ranging from refused entry to a dozen or so days in prison) during 2005. If you have a Polish sounding name, you had better have good evidence that you're not a journalist. Belarus police organizations are well trained and professional, but severely restricted by an un-reformed Soviet-era legal system, corruption, and politicization of the police force and other government authorities. Due to low salaries, it is not uncommon for officers to collect bribes during traffic stops. Sophisticated criminal investigations are often inconclusive because of a lack of resources and/or political will. A Traveller should avoid going outside of car parks in person; Belarusians are extremely clusmy drivers, with some even falling out of the car parks in their cars!

The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Belarus


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Belarus Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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