International Criminal Court’s prosecutor launches investigation into suspected crimes against humanity by Łukašenka

March 12, Pozirk. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has launched an investigation into Lithuania’s allegations that the Alaksandar Łukašenka regime has committed transboundary crimes against humanity as part of its crackdown on opponents starting 2020. 

According to a statement on the ICC website, the Office has concluded that there is a “reasonable basis to believe that Rome Statute crimes were committed at least in part on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.”

Since 30 September 2024, the Office has been conducting a preliminary examination following a referral from Lithuania, the statement says. “Lithuania requested the Office to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed in the Republic of Belarus, a non-State Party to the ICC, stating that part of the elements of the alleged crimes was committed on the territory of Lithuania, a State Party,” the Office says.

“There is a reasonable basis to believe that the coercive acts leading to deportation constituted a course of conduct against actual or perceived opponents of the Government of Belarus, pursuant to or in furtherance of a State policy,” the statement says. The Office has concluded that the alleged crimes committed by the authorities were encouraged or approved by the highest levels of the Government.”

In addition, “there is a reasonable basis to believe that these crimes were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population, considering their large scale, the number of victims, and the organised nature of the acts,” the statement says.

“The scope of the investigation covers transboundary crimes – any past and present allegations of crimes since 1 May 2020 in Belarus, where at least one element of the crime has been committed on the territory of Lithuania, in line with the parameters of the referral and the jurisdictional framework,” the Office says.

“As such, the new investigation includes crimes against humanity, such as deportation, and persecution through deportation against any identifiable group or collectivity on political grounds allegedly committed by the Belarusian authorities. These alleged crimes were pursuant to article 7(1)(d) and article 7(1)(h) of the Rome Statute, respectively,” the statement says.

ICC States Parties have reportedly been notified of the decision, including the Republic of Lithuania.

In its referral to the International Criminal Court, Lithuania noted that there are sufficient grounds to believe that Belarus’ security forces committed crimes against humanity under orders from high-ranking Belarusian political, security and military officials since May 1, 2020. They include deportation, persecution and other inhumane acts.

The Lithuanian justice ministry alleged that the Alaksandar Łukašenka regime has forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of Belarusian citizens to Lithuania and other countries, including those neighboring Belarus, without justification under international law.