A Belarusian opposition leader hails Lithuania’s decision to seek ICC investigation into president

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Belarus’ exiled opposition leader hailed Lithuania’s move to seek prosecution at the International Criminal Court of her country’s authoritarian president and other officials, saying Tuesday that it will give fresh hope to her homeland.

“For me personally, this step means that I can now explain to Belarusians that the international justice system works, that there are countries who really want to help us,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press.

“For the Belarusian people, it is important to prove that we are not abandoned, we are not forgotten,” she added at an event in The Hague a day after Lithuania formally accused President Alexander Lukashenko and others of crimes against humanity by forcing Belarusians to flee the country.

The ICC’s prosecutor said he would open a probe into the claims. Belarus is not a member state of the court, but Lithuania argues that the court has jurisdiction, citing a case brought by Bangladesh against Myanmar over persecution of the Rohingya people.

In its referral to the ICC, Lithuania said there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Lukashenko’s government, police and armed forces have been involved in “deportation, persecution and other inhumane acts” against Belarusian civilians for more than four years.

Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians, including Tsikhanouskaya, have fled the country during an intense crackdown on opposition after huge protests arose against the 2020 presidential election, whose disputed results gave Lukashenko a sixth term in office. A large share of them went to Lithuania.

Tsikhanouskaya was Lukashenko’s main opponent in 2020, entering the race after her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski was arrested after announcing plans to run. Authorities told her the day after the election to leave the country or face imprisonment.

More than 65,000 people have been arrested over the last four years in Belarus in connection with the protests and opposition activity, with many of them severely beaten, according to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna.

As Lukashenko seeks a seventh term next year to extend his three-decade rule, opposition leaders in exile say he is ramping up the pressure on Belarusians who moved abroad. The aim, they say, is to quash any opposition support from overseas.

The Hague-based ICC last year issued an arrest warrant for Lukashenko’s long-time ally and supporter Russian President Vladimir Putin alleging his personal involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin dismissed the warrant and last month visited Mongolia, an ICC member state that refused to arrest him and turn him over to the court.

Another Belarusian opposition leader, Pavel Latushka, said last year that he had handed over to the ICC evidence that he said indicates that more than 2,100 Ukrainian children from at least 15 Russia-occupied Ukrainian cities have been forcibly taken to Belarus with Lukashenko’s approval. He expressed hope that the materials would prompt the ICC to issue a warrant for Lukashenko’s arrest.