Deputies of the Seimas of Lithuania to the Belarusian Diplomats: Do Not Be Accomplices to the Criminal Gang

MPs addressed the staff of our country's embassy in Vilnius.

A group of Lithuanian MPs appealed to the Belarusian Embassy in Vilnius to immediately release protesters and hold new elections:

- We, members of the Lithuanian Seimas, demand the immediate release of peaceful protesters and other civilians abducted by unknown perpetrators today, yesterday and in previous days in Belarus. We demand the release of representatives of the media, academic community, public associations and movements.

Unarmed opponents of the regime are being attacked both in the streets and at home not by representatives of law enforcement agencies in uniforms with identification signs, but masked aggressors in civilian clothes. Therefore, this is not about detentions, but of mass illegal abductions of people. These unknown persons increasingly act like a criminal gang, rather than legitimate state authorities.

The UN has recorded hundreds of cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees. Non-observance of fundamental human rights and freedoms, evident signs of falsification of people's will, complete impunity of power structures engaged in terror against their citizens cause great indignation among Lithuanian society and many other countries of the world.

This is not an internal affair of Belarus. Every UN state has voluntarily undertaken international obligations to respect and observe human rights. If this obligation is not fulfilled, the international community has the right and duty to respond. We respect the sovereignty of Belarus and will strive to ensure this respect by all countries of the world. We shall remind that the sovereignty belongs to the people who express their will in free and fair elections. If there are no such elections, the authorities lose the right to speak on behalf of the people, as it happened at the moment in Belarus.

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus called the developments in the country "a crazy war of the government against its people". Authoritative human rights organizations consider the actions of the illegitimate Belarusian regime as crimes against humanity.

We urge you, employees of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus, to stop being accomplices to these crimes. Both your future career and the international community's attitude towards you after the change in the political situation in Belarus depend on it. The key point is that the norms of Christian and universal morality demand to oppose evil. It is not too late to take the side of truth and good. If you want to take this step and refuse to support criminal acts, as well as if you have suggestions how to contribute to the implementation of the requirements specified in this appeal - we are ready to contact you and encourage you to contact the initiators of the appeal through the contacts below. We promise to ensure, following international law, your safety from revenge for your choice and Belarus that revived after the free elections not to forget its heroes.

In addition to the requirements stipulated above, we urge representatives of the Belarusian regime to hold free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible in cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Otherwise, sanctions against the representatives of the regime will intensify.

Members of the Sejmas:

Tomas Tomilinas

Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė

Virginia Wingrene

Ruta Miliute

Jurgis Razma

Algirdas Sysas

Dovilė Šakalienė

Stasys Šedbaras

Povilas Urbšis

Mantas Adomenas