The National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM) welcomes the open letter from 12 human rights organizations and the International Accountability Platform for Belarus in support of Lithuania’s referral to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding crimes against humanity committed by senior leadership of the Lukashenko regime.
Human rights advocates have indicated that, in accordance with their mandates, they will provide the relevant evidence and information collected in support of the preliminary examination to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office and to ICC member states, and they confirm their readiness to support similar investigations. The signatories are calling on other ICC member states to join Lithuania’s request for an investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity committed by Lukashenko and members of his regime.
Representing the interests of Belarusian civil society, the NAM led efforts to prepare materials for Lithuania’s Ministry of Justice, which formed the basis of the evidence submitted to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office. Documentation of alleged crimes against Belarusian civilians has been gathered. Based on the submitted materials, Lithuanian authorities reached a clear conclusion: there is sufficient basis to believe that Lukashenko and his accomplices are committing transnational crimes against humanity. On September 30, 2024, the Lithuanian government, having supplemented this information with international expertise, submitted the relevant documentation to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to initiate an investigation.
The open letter to ICC member states in support of Lithuania’s referral was signed by the following organizations:
DIGNITY — Danish Institute Against Torture
European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
Human Constanta
International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB)
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus
International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR)
International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)
Norwegian Helsinki Committee
World Organization Against Torture (OMCT)
REDRESS
Human Rights Center "Viasna".
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusian citizens have been forced to flee to Lithuania and other countries due to repression and persecution. In its March 2024 report, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights estimated that approximately 300,000 people have left Belarus since 2020.
Human rights advocates are urging ICC member states to consider all available measures to hold Lukashenko and his accomplices accountable for crimes including arbitrary detention, politically motivated persecution, unfair trials, unlawful killings, sexualized violence, torture, forced labor, and enforced disappearances.
They call on states to conduct national investigations and prosecutions based on universal jurisdiction to ensure accountability for all those responsible for the crimes committed by Lukashenko and his associates.
Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, stated: "We deeply value the support from leading international human rights organizations in seeking accountability for the crimes committed against the Belarusian people. In turn, we will continue our systematic and targeted efforts to facilitate justice for the crimes committed by Lukashenko and his accomplices in Belarus. We will not step back from our primary goal: accountability for crimes against the Belarusian people must be achieved. And it will be achieved".
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