Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that holding Belarus’ leadership accountable remains an absolute priority for the country’s democratic forces. She made the remarks at a special event during the New Belarus Conference in Warsaw titled “Belarus’ Role in the Aggression Against Ukraine: Holding the Top Leadership of Lukashenka’s Regime Accountable.”
“For the United Transitional Cabinet, for the Office, and for all democratic forces, the issue of accountability is an absolute priority. Without justice, no change will be lasting. Otherwise, we will keep going around in circles, and the crimes will be repeated,” the democratic leader said.
She stressed that those who made the decisions that turned Belarus into a staging ground for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine must be held accountable.
“As a result, both Belarusians and Ukrainians are suffering. And Belarus itself has become a hostage of two dictators,” she said.
The politician called on international partners to support efforts to hold the Belarusian authorities accountable, including through the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. She also urged support for Ukraine’s investigation into the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children and for Lithuania’s case against the Belarusian authorities before the International Criminal Court.
“From the first days of the full-scale war, we have consistently condemned the act of aggression, gathered evidence of the regime’s complicity in the war, and demonstrated that this was happening against the will of the Belarusian people. Through their resistance, Belarusians have shown that they stand with Ukraine. Our recent visit to Ukraine confirmed that Ukraine clearly distinguishes between the Belarusian people and the illegitimate regime and is ready to support our initiatives to hold Lukashenka’s regime accountable.
We believe in international justice. We know it is a long and difficult process that requires evidence, facts, figures and time. But a great deal has already been accomplished, and I am confident that we will see this through to the end,” she said.
During the special event, participants discussed Belarus’ role in facilitating and supporting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as possible mechanisms for holding the country’s top political and military leadership accountable.
One of the goals of the meeting was to present and discuss evidence and factual material gathered on Belarus’ involvement in the war against Ukraine. Participants also examined the legal grounds for holding Belarusian officials accountable within the framework of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
Special attention was given to strengthening cooperation between Belarusian and Ukrainian initiatives documenting crimes and preparing verified materials that could later be submitted to the Special Tribunal once it begins operating.
Participants also discussed the legal, institutional and political steps needed to establish effective mechanisms for holding those responsible accountable.
The event was attended by Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management Pavel Latushka, Speaker of the Coordination Council Artsiom Brukhan, iSANS Executive Director Uladzimir Kabets, BELPOL representative Uladzimir Zhyhar, Ukraine’s Ambassador-at-Large responsible for cooperation with the Belarusian democratic forces Yaroslav Chornogor, as well as senior diplomats from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
