On the eve of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Lukashenko dreamed of hosting a "victory march" in Kyiv alongside Putin, sharing Ukraine's property and economy with him, and continuing to intimidate Europe with his power. Additionally, he anticipated receiving a reward from his superior for complicity in the terrible crime of aggression against Ukraine. It should be noted that providing territory for aggression is considered aggression itself under international law. Moreover, there is another crime, not immediately apparent but equally horrendous, involving the illegal transfer, re-education, Russification, and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. It is highly likely that Lukashenko may face an arrest warrant specifically for this crime. Lukashenko is undoubtedly attempting to save himself. For instance, he tries to convince the heads of CIS states not to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on their territories, but his pleas are met with silence. He will have to face the full weight of international responsibility.
Naturally, his propaganda machine is working tirelessly to whitewash his image. In line with the usurper's administration's plan, they are making ongoing efforts to obscure the regime's war crimes against Ukrainian children with misinformation.
However, today we will present a story from the Russian state television channel that substantiates Lukashenko's personal involvement in the displacement of Ukrainian children. In the video, the so-called Secretary of State of the Union State, Mezentsev, emphasizes Lukashenko's role in this crime. He states, "I emphasize that this decision was agreed upon and supported by President Putin and President Lukashenko."
“Russia-1 ” : “The decision is supported by Lukashenko and Putin”
Another story confirms the fact of the Russification of Ukrainian children, which is also a war crime committed by the regime. The video, dated July 2023, features pro-government activist Aleksey Talai, who is implicated in war crimes, telling a child from Mariupol, "You will serve great Russia."
“You will serve great Russia”
Previously, the NAM team published evidence of the re-education of Ukrainian children, which was shared with foreign media outlets and prosecutors. One such example involves the Gruzdev sisters, pro-government singers who performed in the Belarusian health camp "Dubrava" in the fall of 2022 in front of children brought from the occupied territories of Ukraine. This serves as an illustration of indoctrination.
“For Biden to die and Zelensky, too. And let Putin flourish!"
No matter how hard Lukashenko's propaganda machine tries to legitimize his crimes, the evidence collected by the NAM team confirms the illegal export, indoctrination, re-education, Russification, and militarization of Ukrainian children. These materials substantiate the commission of war crimes. However, it is essential to understand that this is only a fraction of the evidence gathered by the NAM team, which confirms Lukashenko's personal involvement and the involvement of the regime representatives in war crimes.
What is the regime trying to do?
We discovered the first signs of the illegal movement of Ukrainian children to Belarus back in the summer of 2022. At that time, Lukashenko did not imagine that the international community would not ignore his actions and would subsequently consider issuing an arrest warrant for war crimes.
The reaction of the international community to Russia's actions was not long in coming: on March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Putin and the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights of the Russian Federation Lvova-Belova on suspicion of committing war crimes. After this event, Lukashenko as well, as an accomplice in these crimes, faces a growing threat of issuing an arrest warrant. After all, he is also responsible for organizing the deportation of Ukrainian children to Belarus and the relevant documents were transferred by the NAM team on June 27 to the International Criminal Court.
An arrest warrant not only practically restricts travel abroad but also carries significant reputational losses. These losses are not limited to the image of an individual politician but also affect the international standing of the entire country. Not every civilized state, which conducts its foreign policy in accordance with the norms of international law, would be willing to engage with individuals suspected of war crimes.
Alexander Lukashenko plays a key role in these crimes. His signatures are on pertinent documents of the union state, and his involvement in these crimes has been mentioned by representatives of this association. Moreover, during the deportation of children in 2022, propaganda videos were repeatedly recorded, in which pro-regime media employees vividly described the process of the children's deportation—a crime according to the norms of international criminal law. Why did they do this? It is evident that the propagandists simply failed to comprehend that the regime's actions violated international norms.
Since it is impossible to reverse the commission of war crimes by Alexander Lukashenko, propaganda is currently attempting to conceal the facts that substantiate the commission of these crimes. Their efforts only confirm their awareness of what has been done and their desire to hide these facts.
How does the NAM team counter Lukashenko’s propaganda?
During our work of collecting evidence regarding the commission of war crimes, we have discovered a significant amount of material that confirms the involvement of Lukashenko himself and representatives of his regime in these crimes. Some of these materials are confidential and will only be considered by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. However, we have published some of these materials on our resources, and there are plans to release additional materials in the future.
The NAM report on the role of the Lukashenko regime and the Union State of Belarus and Russia in the illegal transfer and re-education of Ukrainian children has been presented in the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Additionally, it has been discussed during meetings with representatives of the foreign ministries of several European Union member countries. The topic was also addressed in a speech at the Human Dimension Conference website event within the OSCE, as well as in a meeting with members of the European Parliament. Furthermore, the report has been provided to deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The issue of Lukashenko's involvement in war crimes continues to receive significant coverage in the global media, including prominent publications such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Telegraph.
Can the regime escape responsibility?
No, the regime cannot escape responsibility. The National Anti-Crisis Management team has taken systematic steps to gather evidence of Lukashenko's war crimes. We have meticulously preserved all the materials that confirm Lukashenko's involvement in these crimes, including those that propaganda is attempting to delete hastily. The regime's current efforts to "eliminate material evidence" are essentially futile, especially since all the documents have already been submitted to the International Criminal Court. While they may remove videos from their propaganda resources, they cannot erase them from the materials presented to the ICC.
However, the regime continues to make attempts to evade responsibility. These actions are aimed at deceiving international authorities and accomplices, or at least attempting to do so. Presently, we can observe the following:
Representatives of the regime understand the predicament caused by the deportation of children and are now attempting to "legitimize" their crimes. This includes organizing meetings between diplomats and evacuated children, perhaps in an effort to create an illusion of legality.
Pro-regime propaganda has also intensified, featuring narratives about the supposed improvement of children's health and the assertion that their actions are within the bounds of the law. However, these claims have no basis in reality. The materials collected by the NAM team confirm that children are indeed being subjected to re-education in camps.
Since the regime revolves around the personal power of Lukashenko, his representatives are trying to justify that Lukashenko himself did not personally participate in the commission of crimes and should not be the one to receive an arrest warrant. They periodically attempt to shift the focus onto pro-government activist Talai or the role of the Belarusian Red Cross. However, the regime must understand that these attempts to divert attention do not prevent the issuance of an arrest warrant for Lukashenko; instead, they only increase the number of individuals under suspicion of criminal involvement. The primary culprit behind the crimes is the head of the Supreme State Council of the so-called union state, Lukashenko. We reiterate that he bears personal responsibility for the forced transfer and re-education of Ukrainian children. These war crimes are committed based on written decisions and resolutions of the dictator, with his consent and approval. The documents bearing Lukashenko's signature have been submitted to the ICC.
Recognizing the high likelihood of an arrest warrant being issued against Lukashenko for war crimes, the propaganda machine of the Belarusian regime is attempting to justify the deportation of Ukrainian children to Belarus. They record reports and invite foreign diplomats, aiming to portray the situation as "humanitarian aid to Ukrainian children fleeing the horrors of war," conveniently ignoring the fact that the war itself was unleashed by Russia with the support of the Lukashenko regime.
However, the undeniable truth remains: war crimes committed by representatives of the Lukashenko regime, including the dictator himself, in forcibly transferring Ukrainian orphans, have not disappeared. These crimes have been meticulously documented by the NAM team, compiled into a dossier, and submitted to both the International Criminal Court and the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine.
The decision on when to issue an arrest warrant for the dictator lies exclusively within the competence of the ICC prosecutor. Nevertheless, Lukashenko must be aware that he will be held accountable for his crimes against Ukrainian children as well as for the crimes he has committed and continues to commit against the Belarusian people. Punishment cannot be evaded. In light of the dictator's recent statements, it is evident that he is restless, as he understands that he will not escape justice, and an arrest warrant is looming on the horizon.
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