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"'Never again' is not just a phrase — it is a duty for each of us. It is a call to action to prevent any form of violence and repression, to protect those who are fighting for their freedom today — including in my country, Belarus — and to ensure that tyranny and injustice never return to our world. Totalitarianism in the modern world must be condemned to defeat" , said Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), Pavel Latushka , during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp. On May 11, 2025, Pavel Latushka, leading a delegation of the Belarusian democratic forces — including representatives of the People's Embassy and Belarusians living in Austria — took part in the commemorative events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, held at the memorial complex of the same name. The official ceremony was attended by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, King Felipe VI of Spain, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, members of the Austrian government and parliament, Members of the European Parliament, and delegations from various countries. Among the participants were also Deputy Marshal of the Polish Senate Maciej Żywno and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Władysław Bartoszewski, with whom Pavel Latushka held brief discussions. More than 60 delegations from different countries participated in the memorial events. The Mauthausen concentration camp was one of the largest Nazi death camps — a symbol of inhumanity and totalitarian violence. Its liberation in May 1945 marked the end of the suffering of thousands of prisoners of various nationalities, including natives of Belarus. Representatives of the regimes of Russia and Belarus were not invited to take part in the commemorative ceremony, as since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, they are no longer considered " welcome guests " at events dedicated to Austria’s liberation in May 1945. Pavel Latushka, together with Belarusians living in Austria, also participated in a similar event in 2022. During the ceremony, Latushka held talks with Austria’s Minister of Economy, Wolfgang Hatmannsdorfer , as well as separately with Petra Bayr , Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Austrian Parliament. As members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Bayr and Pavel Latushka discussed cooperation within PACE and the creation of a friendship group with democratic Belarus in the Austrian parliament. Petra Bayr confirmed her willingness to initiate the formation of such a group . "Participation in the ceremony marking the anniversary of Mauthausen’s liberation is an important symbol of commitment to the ideals of human rights and to preventing the resurgence of totalitarian regimes. The memory of the past reminds us of the need to actively resist all forms of tyranny and violence in the present" , emphasized Pavel Latushka.

Pavel Latushka , Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Representative of the Cabinet for the Transition of Power, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Leader of the "Latushka Team and the Movement 'For Freedom'" faction within the 3rd convocation of the Coordination Council. On May 9, a meeting is scheduled to take place in Lviv, during which a political decision is expected on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine  and the approval of its statute. Preliminarily, it is planned that on May 14, during the session of the Committee of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe in Luxembourg, the formal legal procedure for the establishment of the Special Tribunal will be initiated. This Special Tribunal will handle the criminal prosecution of individuals responsible for committing the crime of aggression. The National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM) has been working continuously to ensure that the jurisdiction of this tribunal includes accountability for officials of the Lukashenko regime  who facilitated the aggression by providing Belarusian territory. According to international law and UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, the provision of a country’s territory for aggression constitutes an act of aggression. There is substantial legal basis to argue that Belarus, as a state, committed an act of aggression, and that its top military-political leadership committed the crime of aggression. This international tribunal will be created through the signing of an international agreement between the government of Ukraine and the Council of Europe . The Council of Europe, as an international organization, will provide comprehensive support for the Tribunal’s functioning. As a member of the Coordination Council delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), I initiated the inclusion of a provision on the responsibility of Lukashenko and his accomplices for committing the crime of aggression — by providing Belarusian territory — in a PACE resolution on accountability for aggression against Ukraine. This amendment was introduced and adopted during the PACE session in April 2025. The Special Tribunal will operate under Ukrainian national legislation. This means the tribunal will be bound to recognize the immunities of individuals who possess them. Only three persons are entitled to absolute personal immunity under international law: in the Belarusian context, this includes the usurper Lukashenko, Prime Minister Golovchenko (at the time of the aggression), and Foreign Minister Makei , who will not be subject to prosecution due to his death. All other senior officials of the Belarusian military-political leadership held only functional immunity, which expires once they leave office. For example, if Defense Minister Khrenin ceases to serve in this role and is not appointed Prime Minister or Foreign Minister, his functional immunity would no longer apply. According to our preliminary assessment, Defense Minister Khrenin and former Chairman of the State Border Committee Lapo will be among those subject to prosecution by the Special Tribunal. We also believe that the involvement of all members of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus and the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces at the time of the aggression should be examined , as well as the head of Belarusian Railways.  There may also be grounds to examine the accountability of regional executive committee heads (oblast leaders) who provided infrastructure and other assistance for the aggression. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime of aggression will be a lengthy process, the establishment of the Special Tribunal is a clear signal to Lukashenko’s entourage: carrying out his criminal orders — which violate both the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and international law — will not go unpunished. Our next task, together with our international partners, will be to collect, consolidate, and present evidence of the crime of aggression committed by Belarus’s top military and political leadership.

Pavel Latushka , Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Representative of the Cabinet for the Transition of Power, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Leader of the "Latushka Team and the Movement 'For Freedom'" faction within the 3rd convocation of the Coordination Council. In our country, where potatoes are in short supply and hospitals are suffocating due to a lack of medicine, Lukashenko is spending billions on militarization and the production of military goods. In 2024, the national defense budget soared to 3.57 billion Belarusian rubles — a 25% increase compared to 2023. This isn't just budget growth — it's Lukashenko-style militarization, where the military and security forces are prioritized over schools and hospitals. Every kopeck invested in weapons production is a kopeck not spent on healthcare, education, or infrastructure for millions of Belarusians. Over 20% of the national budget is being spent on "defense" against imaginary enemies. One of the most expensive and shocking aspects is the state defense order. It functions like a black hole, sucking resources out of the economy and leaving other sectors impoverished. In February, at the board meeting of the State Authority for Military Industry (Goskomvoenprom), its chairman Dmitry Pantus proudly declared: "The 2024 state defense order has been fully completed by all enterprises of the military-industrial complex!" On the surface — enthusiasm and patriotic applause. But behind this "full completion" lie real losses for millions of Belarusians: 161 R&D projects  — these include research and prototypes for weapons ranging from "kamikaze drones" to the Polonez-M rocket systems. Even the most modest R&D work costs hundreds of thousands — and often millions — of dollars. What could this money have funded instead?  New ultrasound machines in rural hospitals, medication for the elderly, computers for classrooms. 4,000 units of military equipment  — tanks, advanced air defense systems, UAVs, upgraded infantry fighting vehicles, and command centers. Cost:  Each unit ranges from $100,000 (for small UAVs) to $4 million (for a tank). Altogether, this means hundreds of millions of dollars spent on weapons — not on road repairs or salaries for doctors and teachers. Import substitution worth $147 million  — The military-industrial complex replaced Western components with Russian and Chinese ones to circumvent U.S. and EU sanctions. But this isn’t “independence” — its deepening dependence on Moscow, which dictates what Belarus can produce. Record-breaking arms exports  — The defense industry exported weapons and dual-use goods to Russia — something they don’t hide — and to other countries they prefer not to name.To fulfill these excessive goals set by Lukashenko, the most advanced specialists, production facilities, state-backed loans, and preferential credits with government guarantees were allocated. On paper, it all looks like a triumph. But behind the scenes — it’s a disaster. Every new weapon, every drone, is a stolen opportunity for civil sectors — healthcare, education, infrastructure. These are not just economic decisions; they are moral failures.