Mechanisms of international criminal justice must work to hold those responsible for transnational repression in Belarus accountable

Statue "Human Rights" in front of the Council of Europe building. Pierre-Olivier / Shutterstock

Today, at a session of PACE's Legal Committee, the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, member of the Belarusian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Pavel Latushka, initiated the introduction of an amendment to the PACE resolution "Combating Transnational Repression."

The PACE resolution contains a provision stating that "the Assembly calls on all member states and observer states, as well as states whose parliaments hold observer or partner-for-democracy status with the Assembly, to hold those responsible for transnational repression accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

An amendment was added to this provision stating that prosecution must also be carried out through the relevant international mechanisms of criminal justice.

Commenting on the adoption of this amendment, Pavel Latushka noted:

"The transnational repression of Lukashenko's regime is being carried out on a scale and with the use of such practices that correspond to the concept of "crime against humanity" and are of an unprecedented character for Europe.

Confirmation of this is the fact that on March 12, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced the opening of an investigation into the "Belarusian situation," which concerns deportation and persecution through deportation, certain acts of which constitute transnational repression. These actions consist of halting the issuance of passports abroad, direct threats to the life and health of those persecuted, threats against their close relatives, arrest, and confiscation of property.

The use of "judicial harassment" [judicial harassment] through mass, politically motivated criminal cases for the exercise of political will outside Belarus, in-absentia trials, and denial of the right to an effective defense during such proceedings — this is also an element of transnational repression," — emphasized Pavel Latushka.

All of this constitutes acts of crimes against humanity as the crime of persecution through deportation, which make it impossible for tens of thousands of Belarusians to return to Belarus.

As the representative of the United Transitional Cabinet, delegate of the Coordination Council, noted, it seems appropriate to emphasize the potential of international criminal justice mechanisms in countering transnational repression.

Earlier, during PACE's winter session, Pavel Latushka spoke at a special event at PACE with information about the scale of transnational crimes being carried out by Lukashenko's regime against Belarusians. The materials submitted to the rapporteur were taken into account during the preparation of the resolution.

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