{"id":123691,"date":"2025-01-27T15:03:22","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T12:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/123691\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"lithuanias-top-diplomat-urges-eu-to-support-accountability-for-lukasenka","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/123691\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuania’s top diplomat urges EU to support accountability for \u0141uka\u0161enka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n Lithuanian Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (consilium.europa.eu)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 27, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka reappointed himself as Belarus\u2019 ruler at the presidential election on January 21-16, Lithuanian Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys has told journalists ahead of the European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka, in power since 1994, extended his 30-year rule in Belarus after the central election commission claimed he won 86.82 percent of the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus’ presidential poll had nothing to do with democratic procedures, Budrys stressed, urging his EU counterparts to reaffirm existing policy towards Belarus. Budrys also called for pressure on Minsk to punish continued human rights abuse and persecution of the opposition, journalists and regime critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka’s regime serves as Russia’s military rear, he said, calling for holding Belarusian authorities accountable for their support of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The diplomat also urged other EU countries to support Lithuania’s referral to the International Criminal Court regarding transnational crimes against humanity, allegedly committed by \u0141uka\u0161enka and his officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, Vilnius noted that there are sufficient grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed against the civilian population of Belarus on the orders of high-ranking Belarusian political, law-enforcement and military officials since May 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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