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"Probably, soon they will punish only for the fact that you were born into this world and allowed yourself to criticize Lukashenka" Head of the NAM Pavel Latushka — about another criminal case initiated against him — First of all, I would like to wish all of us that we as soon as possible initiate criminal proceedings against real criminals — Lukashenka and his accomplices, who commit real, not fictional, criminal acts. — The new case is a response to the team of the National Anti-Crisis Management and to me personally for the principled position and persistence in the need to bring the Lukashenka regime to justice. And this responsibility will come inevitably. — In 2012, the National Film Studio "Belarusfilm" received an award for the first time at the world’s most prestigious international Cannes Film Festival for the film "In the Fog" by Vasil Bykov. And I remember how much effort the Lukashenka administration made to make me refuse to shoot this film. — This is the Stalinist regime, the Stalinist times that came in our country. But such actions of the General’s Office prosecutor in no way demotivate me. On the contrary, they motivate me to fight. And I spoke about this yesterday in Brussels. And I will speak with all politicians, as well as the UNESCO leadership about the massive repressions against the figures of Belarusian culture — crimes against the Belarusian people must be punished. — I believe in Belarusians and I am sure that we will win. Long live Belarus!

What does it mean? What happened? The illegitimate authorities of Belarus have appointed a new head of the Central Election Commission. Instead of Lydia Yermoshina, the position was taken by Igor Karpenko, a former Minister of Education. Citizen Lukashenko also appointed five CEC members, two of whom were also in the previous composition. Does it change anything? No, falsifications will continue with the new CEC. Moreover, Igor Karpenko has experience: he was probably involved in the elections for the post of deputy head of the Minsk City Executive Committee, he was also involved in the repression of teachers as the Minister of Education. How does this affect the "referendum" campaign? Despite the fact that Igor Karpenko has been in the system for a long time and is also associated with falsifications, he will be in a new role. The commission will also include new people. This means that it will be more difficult for them to control everything. But let’s not forget: the falsifications on the ground are not directly organized by the chairman of the CEC, but by the heads of local executive committees, who form the commissions from people dependent on themselves. That is why it is so important that the election commissions have as many honest people as possible who are ready to speak the truth and honestly count the ballots. Therefore, it is so important that the Belarusian majority come to the polling stations and make the ballots invalid by putting crosses in front of all the options. This is how we show that we do not agree with the deception, this is how we loudly and together declare that we want real changes and new elections without Lukashenka. From the comments of the citizen who seized power, we see that he wants to usurp power even more. It depends on our actions in the "referendum" whether Belarus will follow the path of freedom and democracy or become an even greater dictatorship.

Australia has passed the Thematic Sanctions Act — and has joined the Global Magnitsky Act On December 2, in addition to the adoption of sanctions by the EU, the United States, Great Britain and Canada, another extremely important event took place. Australia has passed the Thematic Sanctions Act — and has joined the Global Magnitsky Act. The adoption of this law was actively promoted by the Belarusian diaspora in Australia. What is this law and why is its adoption very bad news for the Lukashenka’s regime? The Head of the NAM Pavel Latushka explained. — In fact, the adoption of the "Australian Magnitsky Act" means that Australia will begin to apply its own sanctions against individuals and legal entities guilty of violating human rights and the principle of the rule of law, including in Belarus. — The NAM and representatives of the Belarusian diaspora in Australia have already created a working group and began joint activities to develop sanctions lists, prepare the necessary evidence and relevant analytical notes for the Australian authorities — within the framework of the new law. — The Global Magnitsky Act is considered an international standard in the field of combating human rights violations. And the joining of Australia, along with other countries within the framework of international cooperation, is an event that will significantly increase external pressure on the Lukashenka’s regime and the total effect of the sanctions against it. — An important detail: 88% of Belarusian exports to Australia are potash fertilizers. — In addition to visa restrictions for perpetrators of human rights violations, the new law also provides for targeted financial sanctions, including an asset freeze. — It is known that Taiwan and the third economy in the world — Japan are also studying the possibility of joining the Global Magnitsky Act.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s legal representative Sergei Zikratsky Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s legal representative, Sergei Zikratsky, is sure that the international community’s attention to crimes against humanity in Belarus is noticeable, but it is expressed more in statements than in lawsuits. And reminds of 4 ways to fix it: 1. Citizens of Belarus cannot file individual complaints against their country. But another state can file a complaint. Its consideration in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the most effective means of holding a country accountable under international law. This is a new tool, but it is based on thorough legal analysis and has already gained acceptance. Belarus has never appeared before the MC. But since the violations of human rights in it are unprecedented, the countries concerned should also think about an unprecedented step — filing it with the ICJ. 2. Each member state of the Chicago Convention (CC) can initiate a case against Belarus in the ICJ for the incident with the Ryanair plane. Any of them will also be able to appeal to the ICJ after the ICAO decision. All countries, the rights of citizens and organizations of which were violated then, can begin such a procedure. 3. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to crimes against humanity. Belarus has not signed the Rome Statute, but in the practice of the ICC there are cases of crimes committed not in its member state. One of the ways: UN Security Council resolution. Decisions on such matters must be taken by consensus of all of its permanent members. And any country that agrees that crimes against humanity have been committed in Belarus can and should initiate such a decision. 4. The rules of universal jurisdiction in the criminal codes of many countries allow the initiation of cases there on crimes against humanity. One case was initiated in Lithuania, there are initiatives to open cases in Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, France — but this is not enough. We know the arguments about the refusal to start cases in some countries — and they are legally unfounded. The only reason: lack of political will. Declaration of the participants of the legal conference in Nuremberg

Pavel Latushka and Artsiom Praskalovich met with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich at the initiative of the Latvian side During their meeting, the NAM members and Latvian representatives discussed the migration crisis, the hybrid aggression unleashed by the regime against the EU and the "referendum" planned by the illegitimate Lukashenka regime, as well as a number of other issues. Head of the NAM Pavel Latushka emphasized the importance of developing a collective strategy of the EU and the countries bordering with Belarus — Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine — as the most vulnerable to aggression by the dictator’s regime. The Minister informed Pavel Latushka about the firm and united position of the EU member-states in assessing and responding to the situation in Belarus and the impossibility of dialogue with Lukashenka, who carries out a large-scale repression against the Belarusians. The NAM lawyer Artsiom Praskalovich told about the preparations for Lukashenka’s "referendum" by democratic forces: about the future participants of the election commissions, who are already in contact with the community *Honest people, the support of a single campaign by all new initiatives and activists, as well as how the regime is already trying to counteract. The Latvian foreign minister was familiarized with the NAM’s proposed approaches to the criminal prosecution of Lukashenka and his accomplices, and expressed an opinion about the importance of working with the regime in this area of criminal liability. The minister also emphasized his unwavering support for the Belarusian people and the Belarusian democracies in their fight for democracy and human rights.

"Let the regime know: we have a plan for his 'referendum. The NAM Head Pavel Latushka on the stream of the blogger BalaganOFF First of all, we must mobilize using the "referendum". This is an opportunity for the supporters of change to see each other, to feel unity again. And through a "referendum" we must give a "vote of no confidence" in the dictator. All this can only be achieved through action. Yes, they will still falsify the results, we have no illusions. But if there are many honest people in the commissions, if we come to the polling stations and make the ballots invalid, it will be much more difficult for the regime. Lukashenka’s vertical is afraid that people will come to the polling stations. We can see it in the public and non-public reaction of the regime representatives. Democratic forces do not yet name a detailed action plan for the day of the "referendum" and after it; we do not want to reveal all the cards to the dictator prematurely. We are developing several scenarios at once. So let the regime know: we are ready and we will use this period.

On December 6−7, the European Congress of Local Authorities taken place in Mikolajki (Poland). The European Congress is a platform for exchange of opinions and a meeting place for local government leaders, regional elites with representatives of state administration, non-governmental organizations and business. More than 800 participants of the Congress discuss topical issues in 70 discussion panels. One of the panels this year is devoted to Belarus: "Self-government or centralization. What will be Belarus' choice?". The National Anti-Crisis Management acted as a partner in organizing this panel. The NAM team members Mikhail Kirilyuk, Valery Matskevich, Natalia Zaderkovskaya, Yury Gubarevich and experts touched upon the current state and prospects of local authorities transformation, investments in regional development, promising directions after regime change, and the most topical topic: "Referendum" as an attempt of final centralization? Shaping the image of Belarus' future and preparing reforms is an important component of the NAM’s work.

On December 9, 2021, a high-level event "The Future of the Eastern Partnership in the EU" is scheduled to be held online. It is planned that the conference will be opened by the Deputy Director General of the European Commission Katarina Maternova, as well as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Pavel Latushka. The event is planned to be attended by Eva-Maria Liimets, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, and Nicu Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, as well as representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, various analytical tanks. One of the topics of the conference will be “The Democratic Future of Belarus in the Eastern Partnership”. The Eastern Partnership summit is scheduled for December 15 in Brussels. Radio Liberty journalist Rikard Jozvyak recently announced that Belarus will be represented by an empty seat at the summit. At the same time, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said at a high-level conference in Vienna that the voice of the democratic forces of Belarus should be heard at the Eastern Partnership summit.

Persecution of Lukashenka and his accomplices under universal jurisdiction in France according to French lawyer It happens that the crimes are obvious, but politics and bureaucracy interfere with punishing the perpetrators. The Belarusians know this very well. But Lukashenka has become so toxic that lawyers around the world are making efforts to bring him to justice, including under the principle of universal jurisdiction (UJ). Lawyer Maho Vanson spoke about this direction in France. "Our law says: a person can be held accountable for acts of torture committed abroad if he is in France. The courts confirmed this, but indicated that: the offender must be in France only during the prosecution — this is not required for the investigation; the presence of an accomplice in France is sufficient". "French law provides for Criminal Justice for crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). But the conditions for the use of UJ are more stringent than those under the UN Convention: only the prosecutor's office can initiate a criminal case; it is necessary to check whether any national jurisdiction has requested the extradition of the person; the defendant must live in France; the principle of double recognition of the crime must be respected". "The fact that Belarus is not a party to the ICC or the Convention against Torture is not a problem: torture is also a crime under its legislation. The main difficulty in persecuting Lukashenka and his officials is that they move very little. The condition of being in France is not met, and this may lead to the French side abandoning its jurisdiction". "But lately there has been a mobilization in France to discuss the blocking of the UJ in the laws. A number of human rights defenders, lawyers, politicians have already taken important steps. For example, Senator Jean-Pierre Sur introduced an amendment to remove obstacles to the Office of Justice, and it was supported by the French Coalition of the ICC". "Yes, there is still resistance, mainly political, against the introduction of the UJ mechanism in France. We must constantly raise our voices and try to shake things up. Moreover, there is no doubt that from a political point of view, France's support for the Belarusian people is absolute". On December 2, the Head of the NAM Pavel Latushka raised the issues of applying universal jurisdiction and recognizing the Lukashenka regime as terrorist at a meeting with the French special representative for Belarus, Ambassador Nicolas de Lacoste.

"The largest enterprise in the country — Grodno Azot — lost 52 million dollars. This is the price of the original economic model" New issue of the NAM heading "Destroyer of legends of Belarusian industry". In each episode, we compare the industrial legends of Belarus with similar enterprises in the world. The Head of the column is Mikhail Kirilyuk, leader of the NAM justice team, anti-crisis manager with 5 years of experience. We looked into the field of nitrogen compounds and fertilizers production. And they compared the two largest enterprises: JSC "Grodno Azot" and the Norwegian chemical company "Yara International ASA". In the new video you will learn: income of enterprises, taking into consideration that Grodno Azot was included in the sanctions list only in 2021; sales volumes, net profit and profitability of Grodno Azot and Yara; do the economic indicators of Grodno Azot comply with the norms of the Ministry of Economy? We are waiting for your conclusions in the comments. Happy viewing!

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Chairperson of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Margareta Sederfelt in Stockholm The Chairperson also invited the National Anti-Crisis Management to participate in the meeting. The NAM was represented at the meeting by the People’s Embassy of Belarus in Sweden. This is the first example when the National Anti-Crisis Management was represented at an international meeting by the People’s Embassy of Belarus. The meeting participants discussed issues and approaches to resolving the regional crisis that arose in connection with falsified elections and ongoing repressions in Belarus. Representative of the People’s Embassy of Belarus in Sweden Dmitry Wasserman conveyed to the Chairman of the OSCE PA the NAM proposals on resolving the crisis situation, held talks with the head of the French delegation to the OSCE PA Siren Mauborgne, a member of the Swedish delegation to the OSCE Björn Söder and Vice-President of the OSCE PA Pia Kauma (Finland). The meeting was also attended by Vice-Chairmen of the OSCE PA Askar Shakirov (Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan), Azay Guliyev (Head of the Azerbaijani delegation), Irene Charalambides (Head of the Cyprus delegation) and Pascal Alizar (Deputy Head of the French delegation). It should be reminded that the People’s Embassies are an initiative of the Belarusian diaspora community "Belarusians Abroad" with the support of the National Anti-Crisis Management to create representative offices of democratic Belarus abroad during the loss of legitimacy of the current government in the country and abroad.

US synchronizes sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime with EU and UK decisions On December 2, Pavel Latushka and other members of the NAM team met with US Ambassador Julie Fisher at the office of the National Anti-Crisis Management. The meeting participants discussed the NAM strategy aimed at meeting the requirements of the Belarusian society after the rigged elections in Belarus. Attention was also paid to the issues of pressure on the regime as a factor of the dictator’s responsibility for massive repressions against the Belarusian people. The ambassador noted that the US is synchronizing with the EU and Great Britain the sanctions against the Lukashenka’s regime, which will be announced today. The US representative informed that the policy towards the dictator Lukashenka will not undergo changes. Further instruments of economic pressure in connection with unprecedented violations of human rights in Belarus were discussed separately. During the meeting, they also touched upon the issues of regional security, the threat of which is posed by Lukashenka.