"The international community must not recognize the so-called 'elections' of 2025 in Belarus. We must continue the policy of pressure and isolation on Lukashenko, support the demands of Belarusian society for free and fair elections, the release of political prisoners, and an end to repression", — stated Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, during a meeting on October 30 with the Spanish Ambassador in Poland, Ramiro Fernández-Bachiller.
During the meeting, Pavel Latushka outlined the reasons for submitting materials to the International Criminal Court regarding the situation in Belarus, concerning the crimes against humanity committed by Lukashenko's regime against Belarusians, which were submitted by the government of Lithuania on September 30, 2024. The Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management emphasized the importance of support for this appeal from Spain and other member states of the ICC.
Spanish Ambassador to Poland Ramiro Fernández-Bachiller highlighted the significance of efforts to hold accountable those responsible for crimes against the Belarusian people and expressed readiness to convey this information to the leadership of the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
"The issuance of an arrest warrant for Lukashenko creates a situation where political elites will have to choose: continue to support Lukashenko and risk accountability in The Hague or distance themselves from him and avoid consequences", — stressed Pavel Latushka.
The Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management provided the Spanish ambassador with a memorandum detailing the facts of repression in Belarus, which make any independent political activity within the country impossible, thus rendering these “elections” undemocratic.
At the initiative of the Spanish ambassador, a briefing by Pavel Latushko for ambassadors of EU member states on the topic of “non-elections” in Belarus has been scheduled.
"We must not allow the regime to 'turn the page' without facing accountability and while continuing mass violations of human rights", — stated Pavel Latushka during the meeting on October 30 with the Bulgarian Ambassador to Poland, Margarita Ganeva, and representatives of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.
A key topic of discussion was the so-called "elections" scheduled by Lukashenko for January 26, 2025. Pavel Latushka outlined the situation faced by Belarusians within the country, the atmosphere of total terror created by the regime, and informed them about the ongoing daily repressions. He also provided the Bulgarian ambassador and representatives of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry with a memorandum detailing all circumstances that prevent the upcoming electoral campaign from being competitive, free, and democratic.
Bulgarian representatives agreed with the assessment regarding the absence of conditions for competitive elections in Belarus.
Pavel Latushka appealed to the Bulgarian ambassador and representatives of the Foreign Ministry of that country to join Lithuania’s referral to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC for investigating crimes against humanity committed against Belarusians by Lukashenko's regime.
During the two meetings, the ambassadors of Spain and Bulgaria expressed their support for the democratic forces in Belarus, thanking for the information provided and emphasizing the importance of the Belarusian democratic forces' stance on these issues.
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