Latvia Considers Joining Lithuania's International Criminal Court Case Against Lukashenka

Discussions Held in Geneva

Pavel Latushka, a prominent Belarusian opposition figure and Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, held discussions with Latvian diplomats in Geneva on November 2, 2025. The talks focused on the potential for Latvia to join Lithuania's ongoing lawsuit against Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka at the International Criminal Court (ICC). These meetings occurred ahead of a working group session of the UN Human Rights Council, which is scheduled to address the human rights situation in Belarus.

Lithuania's Referral to the ICC

On September 30, 2024, Lithuania formally referred the situation in Belarus to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The referral accuses Lukashenka's regime of committing crimes against humanity since May 1, 2020. These alleged crimes include:

• Deportation
• Persecution
• Other inhumane acts against the civilian population of Belarus

Lithuania's Minister of Justice, Ewelina Dobrowolska, announced the decision, emphasizing that impunity cannot continue. The ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan, has confirmed receipt of the referral and indicated that a preliminary investigation will be conducted.

Basis for the Lawsuit

The legal action by Lithuania stems from the severe crackdown on opposition and widespread human rights abuses that followed the disputed 2020 presidential election in Belarus, which saw Alyaksandr Lukashenka claim a sixth term. Hundreds of thousands of people have reportedly fled the country, and opposition leaders have been forced into exile or imprisoned. Lithuania asserts that elements of these crimes were committed on its territory due to the forced displacement of Belarusian citizens, thereby bringing the case under the ICC's jurisdiction, despite Belarus not being a signatory to the Rome Statute.

International Accountability Efforts

Pavel Latushka, who previously served as Belarus's Minister of Culture and now leads the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), has been a vocal advocate for international accountability for the Belarusian regime. He has actively engaged with international bodies and diplomats to highlight the human rights situation in Belarus and to gather support for legal actions against Lukashenka. Lithuania's referral marks a significant step, with the Belarusian opposition hoping for an outcome similar to the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin following Lithuania's earlier referral concerning the situation in Ukraine.