Recorded information allows us to confidently assert that all elements of the crime of aggression are present in Lukashenko's actions

Photo: NAM Media

"The recorded information available allows us to confidently assert that Lukashenko's actions contain all the elements of the crime of aggression that fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine," said Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Head of the NAM, Pavel Latushka, during a special event held as part of the "New Belarus" Conference — "The Role of Belarus in the Aggression against Ukraine: Holding the Top Leadership of the Lukashenko Regime Accountable" — organized by the NAM and the Cabinet's Office for the Transfer of Power.

As part of the special event, a discussion panel was held — "Accountability for Aggression: Legal and Political Aspects" — with the participation of Pavel Latushka; Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Ambassador of Lithuania to Poland Jurgita Dapkutė; Ambassador-at-Large of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for liaison with Belarusian democratic forces Yaroslav Chornohor; as well as senior expert of the Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova Department at the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) Kamil Kłysiński.

During his remarks, Pavel Latushka presented a detailed assessment of the actions of Lukashenko and representatives of his regime from the standpoint of international criminal law, as well as the efforts of Belarusian democratic forces to hold those responsible for the crime of aggression against Ukraine accountable.

Photo: NAM Media

"It follows from the statements and the actual consequences that Lukashenko directly discussed with Vladimir Putin the deployment of Russian troops in Belarus; ensured the preparation and transfer of military infrastructure to Russia; initiated and carried out the deployment of Russian troops in Belarus.

Was Lukashenko aware that the actual circumstances related to providing Belarusian territory for Russia's aggression against Ukraine were incompatible with the UN Charter and constituted its manifest violation? Judging by his own statements, it turns out that he fully was.

From the very beginning of the aggression against Ukraine, the NAM and the Belarusian democratic forces have been systematically gathering evidence and advocating on international platforms for those responsible to be held to international criminal accountability.

In particular, the NAM drafted a number of formulations on the accountability of representatives of the Lukashenko regime, which were incorporated into resolutions of the European Parliament. In my view, the most important result on our part is the inclusion of an amendment in the PACE resolution "Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine: the need to ensure accountability and avoid impunity" of April 9, 2025. Amendment No. 5 was drafted by the NAM and lobbied for by me as the Coordination Council's delegate to PACE, with the support of colleagues from the delegation. This resolution became the political foundation for signing the Agreement on the establishment of the Special Tribunal," said Pavel Latushka.

"In addition to the need to investigate Belarus's role in the aggression against Ukraine and hold those responsible accountable, it is also very important to properly investigate the alleged crimes against humanity linked to the forced deportation of the Belarusian people. That is precisely why, in 2024, the Government of Lithuania referred the 'Belarusian situation' to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court under Article 14 of the Rome Statute, requesting an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Lukashenko regime. The referral was backed by documentary evidence of the systematic persecution, forced displacement, and deportation of Belarusian civilians, which the ICC Prosecutor deemed sufficient to open a formal investigation in March 2026," said Deputy Ambassador of Lithuania to Poland Jurgita Dapkutė.

Photo: NAM Media

"I want to thank Ambassador Pavel Latushka for the materials provided. I would like to say that the most recently submitted materials have already been put into work. They were first forwarded to the Department of International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and are now being processed. And I believe they will be used in our fight against the Lukashenko regime. The latest materials, apart from those previously handed over during direct meetings, were submitted through our embassy in Warsaw, through Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar. This request was duly received, forwarded with a covering letter, and has gone through the proper bureaucratic channel that obliges state bodies to act on it," emphasized Yaroslav Chornohor.

"There is no doubt whatsoever about Belarus's status as a co-aggressor. Minsk's attempts to position itself as a mediator in this war should be dismissed as unambiguous disinformation and a deceptive game that has nothing to do with reality. Accordingly, if Belarus wanted to have a seat at the peace negotiation table — which I hope will one day take place — it would have to be there as a co-aggressor, not as a mediator, not as a facilitator, and not as an organizer of peace talks. If we are consistent, that is precisely the capacity in which it would end up there. Therefore, Lukashenko's Belarus cannot play the role of an impartial mediator, because it is not one, and in its current form it cannot be one," said prominent Polish expert Kamil Kłysiński.

Representatives of the foreign ministries and embassies of Austria, the USA, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and Estonia, Polish experts, and Belarusian independent and international media were present at the event.

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