The woman says she launched the case wishing to rehabilitate her.
"Last September, I was banned from entering Lithuania with a visa already issued on the basis that I allegedly posed threat to international relations, the state's security, and public order. These are very serious accusations against me and they threaten to harm my reputation, this is why I am going to court. It’s important for me to restore justice and rehabilitate myself as a public figure," Novikova told journalists ahead of the closed court hearing.
The Migration Department is the defendant in the case, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the third party.
On September 26 last year, the State Border Guard Service barred Novikava from entering Lithuania in a decision made based on the September 10 finding of the Migration Department.
The Lietuvos Rytas daily said Novikava was an activist campaigning against nuclear energy who intended to participate in a Vilnius conference on nuclear energy last September.
Sigita Jacinevičienė-Baltaduonė, spokeswoman for the court, told BNS that Novikava's complaint indicated she had not been notified of the decision, as the Migration Department allegedly didn't know her place of residence in Lithuania. Meanwhile, the Belarusian citizen maintains she had a valid Schengen visa and had specified all required information in her application.
In its reply to the court, the Migration Department said its decision was made on the basis of a confidential recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made on September 5.
Novikava is asking the court to cancel the Migration Department's decision and wants to be awarded the litigation costs.
Surprised at closed hearing
Novikova says she is surprised at the decision to hear her case behind closed doors and also at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' refusal to explain why the ministry considers her a threat to Lithuania.
"I was surprised at the fact that the hearing was held behind closed doors. I am not a citizen of Lithuania, I do not serve in the Lithuanian army or the special services. Why this hearing was held behind closed doors? Why information related to the restriction of my rights is classified?" she told journalists after the hearing.
"The third party in this case – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – saw no need to inform the judge about the motives on the basis of which such a decision was made, saying that the judge has no right to access classified information. This is a pure theater of the absurd," the Belarusian citizen said.
In her words, the court "nevertheless ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide the classified motives." The next hearing is scheduled for February 25.
"I would like to especially stress that it was not only a refusal to issue a visa, it was a refusal to let me in with a valid visa. The decision made by the Migration Department states that I pose a threat to public order, international relations, and Lithuania's national security. In my opinion, these are fairly serious accusations for an administrative case. But these accusations are totally false, i.e., there are no evidence there, no motives, and they were not presented today," Novikova said.
"I believe the motive is a political one and is related to the nuclear power plant, to the referendum only," she added.
A representative of the Migration Department refused to talk to journalists after the court hearing.
