The MFA proposed program was approved by the government for endangered Russian and Belarus citizens
13.08.2022 / 11:24 | Aktualizováno: 02.03.2023 / 15:38
Citizens of Russia and Belarus that face persecution and are in danger in their country can get help from the “Civil Society” program. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs submitted the program to the government on May 18th, which was later approved. It aims to protect those who fight for freedom and democracy and defend human rights.
“These are people that are fighting in their country against the criminal regimes of Putin and Lukashenko; it’s about their own safety. These people actively defend the democratic principles that our society is founded upon. I particularly mean freedom of expression or the possibility to freely exercise one’s occupation without punishment,” shared Minister Jan Lipavský.
It mainly concerns civil society representatives of Russian and Belarus, independent journalists, and academics whose safety is in the interest of the Czech Republic. While implementing the program, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will closely work with nongovernmental organisations that work on securing human rights.
The Civil Society is a robust and residential program that should put into practice an exception in the so-called Lex Ukraine for granting visas to endangered Russian and Belarussian citizens. It aligns with Czech interests to offer them protections because they are fighting against a nondemocratic regime in their country.