Lithuania has formally requested ICC to investigate Belarus for alleged crimes against humanity

Lithuania has formally requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Belarus for alleged crimes against humanity attributed to the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko. The Lithuanian Ministry of Justice stated that it is seeking an inquiry into the actions of Lukashenko’s government, which include forced deportations, persecution of individuals, and other inhumane acts that violate fundamental principles of international law.

The office of Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and maintains a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not yet responded to the inquiry.

This initiative has garnered immediate backing from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled leader of the Belarusian opposition, who resides in Lithuania. The Lithuanian government recognizes her as the legitimate leader of Belarus, rather than Lukashenko.

Tsikhanouskaya remarked, “The atrocities committed by this regime, including forced deportations, unlawful detentions, and torture, must not go unpunished. Lithuania’s bold stance inspires hope that the international community is beginning to hold the regime accountable for its crimes.”

Approximately 300,000 Belarusians have reportedly been compelled to leave their homeland, resulting in one out of every thirty residents of Belarus now living in exile. Tsikhanouskaya, who opposed Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, fled the country following his declaration as the winner—a result widely criticized by both the opposition and Western nations as fraudulent. This election sparked widespread protests, which were met with severe repression by Lukashenko’s security forces, leading to thousands of arrests and many individuals seeking refuge abroad, particularly in Lithuania.

Although Belarus is not a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a member state can initiate a case at the ICC concerning alleged crimes partially occurring on its territory. A statement from Lithuania indicated that hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have sought humanitarian asylum in Lithuania and other European Union countries, with over 60,000 now residing permanently in Lithuania, many of whom have faced or continue to face pressure from the regime and its actions.

The statement emphasized that the forced deportation of individuals directly impacts Lithuania’s security interests, necessitating its engagement with the court. The ICC has not yet confirmed the receipt of a referral from Lithuania. Since the onset of the Ukraine war in February 2022, which Russia initiated partly from Belarusian territory, the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Putin, his chief of staff, the former defense minister, and the children’s commissioner. Russia has dismissed these actions as legally insignificant, given its non-participation in the ICC’s statute, and it is anticipated that Belarus may present a similar argument.

Lithuanian Justice Minister Ewa Dobrowolska remarked regarding Lukashenko, stating, “Putin is not the only one who should face justice at the court in The Hague. All his accomplices, who contribute to international crimes in Ukraine and beyond, must also be held accountable.”