The International Accountability Platform of Belarus (IAPB) welcomes yesterday’s announcement by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that an investigation has been opened into the Situation in Lithuania/Belarus.

The investigation follows a referral submitted by Lithuania on 30 September 2024 requesting the ICC Prosecutor to examine alleged crimes against humanity —including deportation, persecution and other inhumane acts—committed by Belarusian authorities from 1 May 2020 onwards. While Belarus is not a State Party to the ICC, Lithuania argued that parts of the alleged crimes took place on its territory, which brings them within the Court’s jurisdiction.

Following its preliminary examination, the ICC Prosecutor concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction have been committed, at least in part on the territory of Lithuania. According to the Office’s findings coercive acts by Belarusian authorities against actual or perceived opponents forced civilians to flee Belarus and cross international borders into Lithuania. These alleged crimes were encouraged or approved by the highest levels of the Belarusian government.

The investigation will cover alleged crimes committed from 1 May 2020 onwards, including deportation and persecution, within the context of widespread and systematic state-led repression following the 2020 presidential election, which may constitute crimes against humanity.

“The opening of an ICC investigation is a powerful beacon of hope toward justice for victims of repression in Belarus,” said Andrea Huber, Head of the IAPB. “It sends a powerful message that perpetrators of serious international crimes cannot escape accountability. We pay tribute to the efforts of victims and Belarusian civil society whose resilience and courage has made this milestone possible.”

Since its establishment in 2021, the IAPB has collected evidence of serious violations of international law committed by Belarusian authorities and has shared relevant witness and open-source information with the ICC Prosecutor to support its preliminary examination. The Platform stands ready to continue supporting national and international accountability efforts, including the work of the ICC.

While the opening of the investigation represents a significant milestone, it addresses only part of the broader pattern of crimes documented and the ICC will not be able to investigate beyond the crimes of persecution and deportation which were committed, at least in part on the territory of Lithuania, by the highest levels of government.

The IAPB therefore reiterates the importance of complementary accountability efforts at national and international levels to ensure that all perpetrators of serious international crimes are held to account. The IAPB’s report ‘Paths to accountability for Belarus’ provides an in-depth mapping of accountability mechanisms capable of addressing serious human rights violations and breaches of international criminal law in Belarus.

The latest report by the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus, presented to the Human Rights Council on 12 March, further underscores the continuing scale of repression in the country.

We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our donors without who the IAPB’s work would not be possible. Since its establishment, the IAPB has been supported by a wide range of States, notably Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as the European Union.

For more information, please contact: Andrea Huber, IAPB’s Head, on iapb@dignity.dk.