Resolution of the Seimas urges the Government to extend the list of Belarusian officials refused entry to Lithuania

Press release, 24 September 2020

The Resolution on sanctions against the Belarusian officials responsible for or contributing to the falsification of the results of the presidential elections held in the Republic of Belarus, violence and repressions against participants of the peaceful protests and other violations of human rights has been adopted by the Seimas by 77 votes in favour. The Resolution calls on the Government to put the individuals identified in the Resolution on the list of persons prohibited from entry into the Republic of Lithuania.

In the Resolution, the Seimas underlines the non-exhaustive nature of Lithuania’s national list of 30 Belarusian officials banned from entry to Lithuania as they are responsible for or have contributed to vote rigging, violence and repression against peaceful protesters, and other violations of human rights in Belarus, and stresses that the list must be kept up-to-date.

According to Gabrielius Landsbergis, Head of the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats Political Group, who presented the draft, ‘the list will represent a clear statement of the Lithuanian Seimas to the effect that these people will not be allowed to the territory of Lithuania: to our shopping malls, to our SPAs, and to the streets of our cities. Sending this message is, therefore, of key importance today.’ In his words, this should not be the last step in the list of sanctions, though.

‘We are stripping the masks from as many as 118 people today. We know who you are, we, basically, define you as criminals in Lithuania, and you will not enter the territory of Lithuania. We are also sending a clear signal to others, who commit repression, who beat and torture people and put them in prisons, and whose masks will also be ripped off. They will not be allowed into Lithuania in the future, either,’ Gabrielius Landsbergis, Head of the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats Political Group, said during the presentation of the draft.

The Seimas Resolution calls on the leaders of the Republic of Lithuania, the European Union Member States and NATO countries, as well as on national parliaments and governments, and heads of the EU and NATO institutions and international organisations to immediately impose sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for violence and repression, vote rigging, and other violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms and, in the event of continued brutal actions by the regime, to constantly expand and tighten the sanctions.

Saulė Eglė Trembo, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, Office of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6203,  e-mail: [email protected]