Attacks planned against Belarusians in Lithuania show the fear of the Russian and Belarusian regimes, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsichanouskaya said.
The politician made comments after Lithuania’s intelligence agency, the State Security Department (VSD), stated that Russian and Belarusian intelligence services were plotting attacks against Belarusians in Lithuania.
“The fact that the Russian and [Alexander] Lukashenko’s security services are trying to target Belarusians even outside Belarus only proves once again how much they fear our solidarity and our work,” Tsichanouskaya told BNS after Saturday’s commemoration of the victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
According to her, the main goal of such attacks is to intimidate the Belarusian diaspora, spread fear, and sow distrust between Belarusians and Lithuanians.
“However, this will not work. Belarus and Lithuania are neighbours and allies united by our struggle for freedom,” the Belarusian opposition leader said.
She also called on the people of Lithuania to support Belarusians who have found refuge in the country and to distinguish between the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and the people.
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Tsichanouskaya says she understands the possible threats, does not ignore them, and emphasises her trust in the Lithuanian authorities.
“We understand that the threats are real, and we do not ignore them. However, we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We are convinced that the Lithuanian security services are doing everything possible to protect Belarusians and to uncover and stop any provocations by the regime's special services,” the politician told BNS.
According to the Belarusian opposition leader, no Belarusian can be completely safe at the moment, so additional precautions are being taken.
“We are working to identify agents of the regime, informing diaspora activists about possible threats and risks, as well as how to verify information and contacts,” she explained.
According to Tsichanouskaya, there are also institutions in Lithuania and Poland that provide legal and psychological counselling.
‘I understand the risks’
Several dozen people, including Belarusians living in Lithuania and representatives of ten foreign embassies, attended a ceremony in the Sapieha Palace Park in Vilnius on Saturday to honour the victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
People laid flowers at the monument to the Mother of Chernobyl.
Karina Solovei, director of the Belarusian environmental organisation Ecohome (Ekodom), who attended the event, told BNS that she felt safe enough in Lithuania but understood the potential risks.
“I feel pretty safe in Lithuania, but I’m also aware of the risks coming from Belarus’ and Russia’s special services,” Solovei told BNS.
“I think the Belarusians living here generally feel quite safe. Many thanks to Lithuania for that,” she added.
Ecohome states on its website that in 2022, the Belarusian KGB classified the organisation as an “extremist entity”.
The non-profit is concerned with the environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine, the fight against nuclear power, and other environmental issues.
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