Lithuania refers Belarus leaders to ICC over alleged crimes against humanity

# Lithuania refers Belarus leaders to ICC over alleged crimes against humanity

Lithuania has referred Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, members of his government, and security and military officials to the International Criminal Court, accusing them of crimes against humanity over a crackdown that has driven large numbers of Belarusians from the country.

The referral, reported by the Associated Press on September 30, 2024, says Lithuania believes there are reasonable grounds to conclude that Belarus authorities have engaged in deportation, persecution and other inhumane acts against civilians. The filing argues that the conduct has been widespread and systematic and is aimed at removing critics and opponents to preserve Lukashenko’s rule.

The move adds an international legal dimension to a political crisis that has already lasted for years. Belarus saw major protests in 2020 after a disputed election handed Lukashenko a sixth term. The response was severe. According to the evidence packet, hundreds of thousands of people fled the country over the following years, while opposition leaders were forced abroad or sent to prison. The AP report also cites the human rights group Viasna, which says more than 65,000 people were arrested over the last four years amid the crackdown.

Lithuania’s referral is notable not only because it singles out Lukashenko, but because it extends beyond him to government members, police, armed forces and other officials. The AP report says Lithuania told the court that officials have forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of lawful residents to neighboring states that are parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty underpinning the ICC. In other words, Lithuania is alleging that the displacement was not incidental fallout from unrest, but part of an organized campaign.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, confirmed receipt of the referral and said his office would conduct a preliminary examination to determine whether to move forward with a case. That step does not amount to a prosecution, but it opens a procedural path for potential action if the court decides the evidence justifies it.

The referral lands at a politically sensitive moment for Lukashenko, who is seeking another term to extend more than three decades in power. Belarusian opposition figures in exile say pressure on citizens abroad has increased, and they argue the government is trying to suppress any remaining support networks outside the country.

Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed Lithuania’s action, calling it a significant step toward justice. Her response reflects how the ICC move is being viewed by Belarus opposition circles: not as a standalone diplomatic gesture, but as a possible route to accountability after years of arrests, intimidation and exile.

For Lithuania, the referral places neighboring Belarus’s repression squarely before the world’s top international criminal court. For Lukashenko’s government, it presents a fresh legal challenge built on the same allegations that have followed the regime since the 2020 protests: forced displacement, persecution and the deliberate use of state power against civilians who oppose the president.