Belarusian president and other officials are accused of crimes against humanity, including the mass forced deportations of refugees.
Belarus’ exiled opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has praised Lithuania’s decision to seek the prosecution of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and other senior officials at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Lithuania announced the move on Monday, saying the officials are being accused of committing crimes against humanity by forcing both refugees and their own people to flee the country.
The allegations also include the persecution of political opponents and their detention in inhumane and degrading conditions.
Tsikhanouskaya was forced into exile in Lithuania after Lukashenko was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, where she ran as an opposition leader.
She ran in place of her husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, who was arrested and detained in May 2020, two days after he announced he would be running in the election.
“We can’t win this fight alone, we need allies, we need international institutions and organisations and governments as allies. Sometimes it looks like nothing is happening”, Tsikhanouskaya said at an event in the Hague, a day after the ICC’s prosecutor said he would open a preliminary probe into the claims.
“But today’s referral to the ICC shows that all our efforts, you know, are succeeding, you know, and it will be a huge boost to Belarusian civil society to continue the job,” she added.
Although Belarus is not a member state of the ICC, Lithuania argues that officials there can be prosecuted because some elements of the alleged crimes against humanity took place in the Baltic nation that is a member of the court.
In addition, if an international arrest warrant is issued for Lukashenko or any of his officials, he could be arrested by the authorities of any state under the institution’s jurisdiction if he steps foot on their territory.
Opposition groups and government critics in Belarus have faced a severe crackdown since nationwide protests erupted in 2020 after disputed election results gave Lukashenko a sixth term in office.
Tsikhanouskaya estimates roughly 300,000 Belarusian citizens have fled the country over the last four years.
