Some countries refused to join Lithuania's case against Lukashenka - Latushka

To hold Lukashenka accountable for the crimes he has committed and continues to commit is now possible only within the framework of the International Criminal Court (ICC), said deputy chairman of the United Transitional Cabinet (UTC), head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM) Pavel Latushka at the hearings of the Coordinating Council on January 23. He sees no other mechanisms for today.

A possible investigation under universal jurisdiction excludes the possibility of prosecuting people with personal immunity, such as Lukashenka. An alternative, according to Latushka, would be the creation of a special international tribunal on Belarus. But he called this option impossible "given the existing geopolitical barriers and lack of political will.

He called the ICC an absolute priority for the democratic forces, explaining that Lukashenka's terror "has gone far beyond the borders of Belarus. Latushka explained that he was referring to "crimes against humanity in the form of deportation and persecution for political reasons. According to him, these crimes were committed on the territory of at least 30 countries - parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

At the initiative of NAM, on September 30, 2024, Lithuania submitted documents on the situation in Belarus to the ICC, and there began a preliminary investigation of the situation. But other countries have not joined Lithuania's complaint, including "a number of key partners," said Latushka. He added that "among the comments received, there is not a single legal one, that is, there are no legal grounds for refusing to make such decisions".