{"id":150156,"date":"2025-08-08T16:49:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T13:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/150156\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithuanian-mp-stages-protest-outside-foreign-ministry-to-demand-cichanouskaja-office-closure","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/150156\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian MP stages protest outside foreign ministry to demand Cichano\u016dskaja Office closure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Delfi)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

August 8, Pozirk<\/em><\/strong>. Several dozen people took part in a protest outside the Lithuanian foreign ministry in Vilnius, calling for the closure of \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was organized by Lithuanian MP Vitautas Sinica, Delfi<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the rally, Sinica said Lithuania had initially hoped to use the Office to draw Belarus closer to the West and away from Russia, but that plan had failed. He urged the government to look for new approaches, arguing that Cichano\u016dskaja\u2019s activities \u201cdo not help resolve the problems of the growing Belarusian diaspora.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One counterdemonstrator, holding a sign reading \u201cLithuania, thank you for your support,\u201d<\/em> argued that the rally played into the hands of Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime. Sinica replied that the protest was neither for nor against \u0141uka\u0161enka. \u201cQuite the contrary, this is a protest against what Lithuania is doing for the Belarusian opposition does not change Belarus in any way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the demonstration was not aimed against the Belarusian opposition itself, but sought to \u201cdraw attention to the activities and funding of the Cichano\u016dskaja Office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindaugas Stanys, of the Lithuanian foreign ministry, said shortly before the rally that Lithuania continued to support the Belarusian opposition because doing so was in the country\u2019s national security interests. He stressed that the government had no plans to close the Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protest comes two weeks after the ministry announced it would not consider Sinica\u2019s request to shut down the Office. The ministry emphasized that \u201cthe mission\u2019s accreditation should remain in place and be valid until citizens of Belarus and democratic forces representing them can make decisions on their state\u2019s future freely and in a democratic way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, in an appeal to the foreign minister published on the Seimas website on July 22, Sinica claimed that Belarusian pro-democracy forces were misusing Lithuania\u2019s \u201chospitality and goodwill\u201d to create \u201can alternative Belarus\u201d in the country rather than build \u201cgood-neighborly relations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinica accused Cichano\u016dskaja of failing to \u201cdecisively condemn\u201d Litvinism \u2013 a conspiracy theory suggesting that Belarusians might press territorial claims against Lithuania as heirs to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He also criticized her for opposing \u201cplans to limit immigration from Belarus, motivated by national security concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further attacked Cichano\u016dskaja\u2019s husband, opposition politician Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski, calling his activities \u201cparticularly harmful.\u201d Sinica alleged that Cichano\u016dski had supported Russia\u2019s illegal annexation of Crimea and had spoken of plans to create a Belarusian autonomy in Lithuania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuch public statements should be regarded as an encroachment on Lithuania\u2019s territorial integrity and state structure. We should strongly condemn them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On July 23, Cichano\u016dskaja\u2019s Office issued a statement assuring Sinica that it worked to strengthen Lithuanian\u2013Belarusian ties, \u201cappreciates the assistance of Lithuania, its government and people,\u201d and thanks Vilnius for its \u201clong-standing support of Belarusians fighting for peaceful democratic and European reforms in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement also stressed that Sinica\u2019s appeal \u201ccontains unreliable and false information and harms friendly relations between the Lithuanian and Belarusian peoples.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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