# Former political prisoner says security officers tore pages from his passport after Belarus returned him to Russia

https://mins.news/en/item/59685

- Meduza, 2026-09-15 17:21 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/15/a-former-political-prisoner-tried-to-leave-russia-after-belarus-sent-him-back-he-believes-security-officers-tore-pages-from-his-passport-so-he-wouldn-t-escape-again

> Former political prisoner Ivan Lyubshin told RusNews that pages 9–12 were torn from his passport, making it invalid. He believes Russian border guards and Kaluga anti-extremism officers did this so he “wouldn’t escape again.” After Belarusian border guards returned him to Russia while he was trying to leave, authorities opened a criminal case over alleged evasion of court-ordered supervision, and prosecutors requested a seven-month sentence.