Фото: t.me/tsikhanouskaya
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has welcomed the decision of the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed in Belarus.
“Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have suffered and continue to suffer because of the regime’s actions, and Lukashenka’s policies also create threats for Belarus’s neighbors,” she said. “This decision restores hope: that the rule of law will be reinstated, that those responsible will be held accountable, and that the victims will receive the right to truth and justice.”
Tsikhanouskaya thanked Lithuania, which took the initiative, as well as the countries that supported the move, Paval Latushka, and the human rights defenders and lawyers who worked to make this possible.
The Office of the Prosecutor will investigate crimes against humanity including deportation and persecution through the deportation of any identifiable group or community on political grounds, allegedly committed by the Belarusian authorities. These crimes are qualified under Articles 7(1)(d) and 7(1)(h) of the Rome Statute.
It should be recalled that in September 2024 Lithuania submitted materials to the International Criminal Court regarding cross-border crimes against humanity committed by Lukashenka against Belarusians. Lithuania asked the court to investigate crimes committed in Belarus, which is not a state party to the ICC, noting that some of them were committed on the territory of Lithuania, an ICC member state.