Lithuania opens torture investigation against Belarusian regime members

The Lithuanian Attorney General on Wednesday (December 9th) opened a criminal investigation targeting members of the Belarusian regime over accusations of torture of pro-democracy activists.

Read also: What future for Belarus?

Prosecutor Evaldas Pasilis said he applied laws of universal jurisdiction that allow prosecution of crimes against humanity committed anywhere in the world.

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” Pasilis said in a statement.

The investigation was opened after Belarusian citizen Maksim Kharoshyn filed a petition with the prosecution, in which he said he was tortured while in detention by Belarusian law enforcement.

No names of suspects have been mentioned in the Lithuanian investigation yet.

Belarusian opposition leader-in-exile Svetlana Tikhanovskaya welcomed the news and called on other European countries to do the same.

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Belarusian

regime

”she said by phone.

Lithuania, which is part of the EU, has played a key role in the international mobilization to support Belarusian protesters who have been contesting the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko for months.

Every Sunday since August, tens of thousands of Belarusians have demonstrated in the streets of the capital to obtain the departure of Lukashenko.

The latter, however, resisted the pressure of the street and multiplied the blows to the opposition, arresting or pushing into exile most of the figures of the protest.

Tikhanovskaya, who claims to have won the presidential election, and Kharoshyn are among the hundreds of Belarusians welcomed by Lithuania in recent months.

The opponent has received the support of most Western capitals, when Lukashenko, in power for 26 years, has the support of Russia, a regional power.