On Support for Dainius Žalimas
- Pavel Latushka
- May 11
- 3 min read
In connection with the coordinated information campaign aimed at discrediting Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament and former President of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania, Dainius Žalimas, through attacks against the activities of the Center for Law and Democracy "Justice Hub", I, Pavel Latushka, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), and Laureate of the Lech Wałęsa Award, state the following.
Dainius Žalimas and the "Justice Hub"center previously headed by him have made one of the most significant contributions to advancing accountability for representatives of the Lukashenko regime for international crimes committed against Belarusians.
The history of my personal cooperation with Mr. Žalimas began in 2021. In 2023, it was precisely thanks to the work organized and financed by "Justice Hub" that the first multilateral report on crimes against humanity in Belarus was prepared. It can confidently be stated that this was the first major expert document to directly substantiate the qualification of crimes against humanity in Belarus. Most importantly, the document provided a highly detailed description of the pathways toward justice, taking into account the available international and national legal mechanisms.
On the occasion of the report’s release, "Justice Hub" organized a major international conference in Vilnius with the participation of distinguished international experts.
Throughout 2022–2025, NAM worked in the closest possible cooperation with "Justice Hub", particularly within the framework of preparing the aforementioned report.
It was precisely thanks to these joint efforts that an international community of like-minded experts was formed, capable of carrying out work that has today resulted in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court opening an investigation into the "Belarus situation".
In addition, "Justice Hub" directly contributed to the initiation in Lithuania of investigations into crimes of torture committed in Belarus on the basis of the principle of universal jurisdiction.
There is no doubt that the current discrediting attack against Dainius Žalimas and the work of "Justice Hub" bears all the hallmarks of a coordinated information campaign conducted by the Belarusian and Russian special services.
Why now? Because the work of "Justice Hub" and the personal contribution of Dainius Žalimas have now produced tangible results and brought closer the real accountability of the Lukashenko regime, as well as the restoration of the rights of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians.
On March 12, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into the "Belarus situation". At the same time, Dainius Žalimas has consistently defended the issues of international justice for Belarus, support for Ukraine, and the broader European vector at the European Parliament.
It is precisely now that the Belarusian regime, together with the Belarusian and Russian special services, is systematically attacking everyone connected to the result we have achieved at the International Criminal Court.Dainius Žalimas, as a person who made a significant contribution, has become the target of one such attack.
In this regard, I express my full solidarity and support personally, on behalf of the team of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), and on behalf of the Belarusians whom I represent in the Coordination Council.
I would like Belarusians to know that Dainius Žalimas was among the first to come to the aid of Belarusians who suffered from repression, and that his work has produced real results in the matter of protecting victims of international crimes.
In the person of Dainius Žalimas, democratic Belarus has found a true friend and ally, for which I am sincerely grateful to him.
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