{"id":189990,"date":"2026-05-31T20:06:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T17:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/189990\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T20:07:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T17:07:01","slug":"lithuanian-security-chief-says-lithuanians-arrested-for-political-reasons-in-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/189990\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian security chief says Lithuanians arrested for political reasons in Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/telebashnia_vilnius_flag_litvy_pozirk_1128x752.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/telebashnia_vilnius_flag_litvy_pozirk_1128x752.jpg 900w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/telebashnia_vilnius_flag_litvy_pozirk_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/telebashnia_vilnius_flag_litvy_pozirk_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/telebashnia_vilnius_flag_litvy_pozirk_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/telebashnia_vilnius_flag_litvy_pozirk_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/>\n  <figcaption>\n  \n       <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                <span>(Pozirk)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n     <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>May 31, <em>Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Belarus is harassing, intimidating and arresting Lithuanian nationals on political grounds, Lithuanian State Security Department chief Remigijus Bridikis has told the NATO Parliamentary Assembly\u2019s Democracy and Security Committee in Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime arrests Lithuanians without cause, while Belarusians can end up in prison simply for reading publications that the authorities have deemed extremist, he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe see no positive changes on the part of Belarus and believe that it will continue to provoke or exploit various issues to exert pressure on the security of neighboring states for its own interests,\u201d<em> LRT<\/em> quoted the official as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile \u0141uka\u0161enka may signal an interest in improving ties with the West, he is unlikely to distance himself from Russia or alter Belarus\u2019s authoritarian system of governance,\u201d Bridikis stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Julius Katinas, in charge of the Lithuanian military intelligence, added that Minsk\u2019s military dependence on Moscow keeps growing, listing Russian military bases, early warning systems and Russia\u2019s strategic air defense assets deployment in Belarus as examples. Belarus is providing its territory for infrastructure that enhances the effectiveness of Russian drone attacks against Ukraine, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dgb_fb_logo_1128x752-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dgb_fb_logo_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dgb_fb_logo_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dgb_fb_logo_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dgb_fb_logo_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dgb_fb_logo_1128x752.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Politics<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Politics<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Lithuanian security chief warns against starting dialogue with Minsk<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">April 21, Pozirk. Dialogue with Minsk could result in increased risks for Vilnius, Lithuanian State Security Department chief Remigijus Bridikis has told Lithuania&#039;s ELTA. The official expressed these concerns following an earlier statement by Lithuanian president\u2019s aide Deividas Matulionis, who &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/184402\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read the article<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trotskis_dissidentby-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trotskis_dissidentby-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trotskis_dissidentby-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trotskis_dissidentby-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trotskis_dissidentby-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/trotskis_dissidentby.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Politics<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Society<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Politics, Society<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Belarus sentences Lithuanian man to 15 years in prison on spying charges<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">March 31, Pozirk. Lithuanian national Miroslavas Trockis was given 15 years in prison in Belarus, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports, citing Dissidentby. The 35-year-old man was found guilty on charges of espionage and spying activities. \u00a0In the fall of &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/181783\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read the article<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May 31, Pozirk. Belarus is harassing, intimidating and arresting Lithuanian nationals on political grounds, Lithuanian State Security Department chief Remigijus Bridikis has told the NATO Parliamentary Assembly\u2019s Democracy and Security Committee in Vilnius. Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s regime arrests Lithuanians without cause, while Belarusians can end up in prison simply for reading publications that the authorities have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":126555,"template":"","rubric":[16,30],"class_list":["post-189990","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics","rubric-security"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Lithuanian security chief says Lithuanians arrested for political reasons in Belarus | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"May 31, Pozirk. Belarus is harassing, intimidating and arresting Lithuanian nationals on political grounds, Lithuanian State Security Department chief\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/189990\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lithuanian security chief says Lithuanians arrested for political reasons in Belarus | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"May 31, Pozirk. 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