We face a choice: deportation or prison for Natallia Dulina

(BELARUS) Former political prisoner Natallia Dulina says authorities forced her to choose between deportation and prison, a choice that ended with her sudden expulsion to Lithuania in June 2025. She had six months left on a 3.5-year sentence for political activism when officers removed her from a Belarusian facility, blindfolded and handcuffed her, and drove her to the border. There, without consent, documents, or a release certificate, she and other detainees were pushed out of the country.

She is now in Lithuania, unable to go home to Belarus without the risk of re-arrest, and without proof of lawful release. Officials framed the transfer as a form of relief, but Dulina refused to admit guilt or ask for a pardon and was still removed from custody and expelled.

Forced expulsion as a pattern and a legal concern

Rights advocates and legal experts say such forced exile fits the Rome Statute’s definition of forcible transfer or deportation. In everyday terms, that means a person is pushed out of their country against their will.

Dulina’s case highlights a broader pattern: political detainees told to accept expulsion from Belarus or stay behind bars. The practice lets authorities reduce pressure inside prisons while avoiding public acknowledgment of political rights violations.

“We are choosing between deportation and prison.”
Former detainees report a stark message: admit guilt and be pardoned or be expelled; refuse and remain at risk of harsher punishment — yet expulsions can happen even without admission of guilt.

Arrest, treatment in custody, and the choice she faced

• Dulina was arrested in October 2022 for activities the state labeled “extremism”, including protests and interviews given to banned channels.
• A court sentenced her to serve time in a general regime correctional facility.
• While in custody, she faced harsh disciplinary measures:
  • Solitary confinement
  • Punitive measures including hours in a “shame cage,” which U.N. experts have condemned as gender-specific abuse

Despite these conditions, Dulina did not accept any offer that required admitting guilt. The decision to take her from prison and expel her came without her agreement.

How the expulsion unfolded

The removal was abrupt and coercive:

1. Dulina was taken from the facility, blindfolded and handcuffed.
2. She and several other prisoners were driven to the border.
3. They were pushed across into Lithuania with no paperwork.

She says she never signed a confession, never requested a pardon, and never accepted the terms of release. Yet the transfer proceeded — allowing authorities to claim the person is no longer in custody while avoiding any restoration of rights or acknowledgment of wrongful detention.

Immediate legal and personal consequences

This method creates deep, practical problems:

• No release certificate — cannot prove she lawfully left custody.
• No Belarus-issued documents — cannot manage property, claim benefits, or access pensions (her Belarus pension is cut off).
• Risk of re-arrest — returning to Belarus risks immediate detention.
• Separation from home ties — family, work, property, and social ties remain inaccessible behind a border she cannot safely cross.

The effect is to erase her legal footprint inside the country while blocking her return — effectively deportation by force, carried out without court orders but through coercion.

Situation in Lithuania and available support

For many exiled Belarusians, Lithuania becomes a first point of safety. But safety brings new hurdles:

• Arrivals may lack personal ID and evidence of their release.
• They need help obtaining lawful stay, personal identification, housing, healthcare, and legal assistance.

Lithuania’s Migration Department provides processes for people seeking protection, but outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Official guidance on protection and residence options is available from the Migration Department of the Republic of Lithuania at the Lithuanian Migration Department: https://migracija.lrv.lt/en/.

International law implications

• The Rome Statute classifies deportation or forcible transfer as a crime when done without grounds permitted by international law.
• Forcibly pushing people out of their country, without consent and without proper legal process, falls within that prohibition.
• The reported Belarus practice — transfers without consent or proper process — appears to match that definition.

The method raises trouble for international observers: it removes political voices from the country while avoiding internal legal reckoning.

Longer-term effects and policy needs

Dulina’s case illustrates how punishment can continue after the prison gates:

• Without a release paper, authorities can claim unresolved charges or owed time.
• Threats of new arrest block family visits, care for relatives, and ordinary life activities.
• The practice chills speech for those still inside Belarus.

Timeline at a glance:

• October 2022 — Arrested
• 3.5-year sentence
• Harsh treatment in custody (solitary, “shame cage”)
• June 2025 — Sudden removal and expulsion to Lithuania, months before sentence completion

For policy makers and aid groups, practical needs include:

• Fast access to legal help
• Emergency housing
• Healthcare and psychosocial support
• Clear pathways to lawful stay and restoration of identity records

Host countries and NGOs often shoulder these burdens. For Belarusian families, the loss is immediate and personal: a parent, partner, or colleague gone with no clear return date.

Conclusion

Dulina’s name now sits with many others who report the same forced choice in Belarus: remain in prison or accept deportation. The system is built to silence dissent while avoiding public responsibility. It strips people of documents, pushes them across a border, and leaves them to rebuild from scratch.

For Dulina, the work ahead is straightforward to state but difficult to achieve: find stable legal status, restore identity records, and piece together a life in a country she did not choose.