An investigation has been launched into crimes against humanity committed by the Lukashenko regime
- Admin of the NAM
- Mar 12
- 2 min read
Today, March 12, 2026, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced the opening of an investigation into the "Belarus situation," having concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity — deportation and persecution — may have been committed by representatives of the Belarusian authorities, at least in part, on the territory of Lithuania. The basis for initiating the proceedings was a referral submitted by Lithuania to the Office of the Prosecutor on September 30, 2024.
What is the decision about?
In its statement, the Office of the Prosecutor concluded that the Belarusian authorities created an atmosphere of coercion that compelled both actual and perceived opponents of the Belarusian government to leave the country. In the assessment of the Office of the Prosecutor, these coercive acts form part of a state policy of the Belarusian authorities: the repeated attacks by the authorities on government opponents, the use of laws to suppress dissent, and the absence of accountability for crimes allegedly committed by representatives of the authorities, in the view of the Office of the Prosecutor, "support the conclusion that crimes committed by the authorities were encouraged or condoned at the highest levels of the Government."
On this basis, the Office of the Prosecutor concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that representatives of the Belarusian authorities committed crimes against humanity in the form of deportation, as well as persecution.
What does the transition to the investigation stage mean?
At the investigation stage, the Office of the Prosecutor collects and analyses evidence, identifies those bearing the greatest responsibility for the alleged crimes — effectively building cases against specific individuals — and assesses whether the legal threshold has been met to apply to the Pre-Trial Chamber for the issuance of arrest warrants or summonses to appear before the Court.
We express our gratitude to the Government of Lithuania, which referred the situation concerning these crimes to the Office of the Prosecutor, and without which today's decision would not have been possible.
For reference: In 2023, the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus approached the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice with a request to initiate proceedings under Article 14 of the Rome Statute. Exactly one year later, in September 2024, the Government of Lithuania referred the "Belarus situation" to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
It is now critically important that other countries follow the example of the Government of Lithuania, affording victims of crimes against humanity in Belarus equal access to justice. This decision by the Office of the Prosecutor demonstrates that there are no legal obstacles to joining Lithuania's referral.
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