Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and at least part of her team are preparing to relocate from Vilnius to Warsaw, several well-informed sources told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Belarus Service on condition of anonymity.
The timing of the move and which members of her office may follow Tsikhanouskaya to Poland remain undecided, the sources said. “The decision to move has been made 100%,” one source told RFE/RL.
One option under discussion would keep part of the office operating in the Lithuanian capital.
Denis Kuchynski, Tsikhanouskaya’s adviser, did not confirm the relocation but said the team is waiting for Lithuania’s final decision on a new security arrangement for the opposition leader.
“At the moment Sviatlana is under the protection of Lithuania’s Dignitary Protection Service. Only after we receive a final decision from Lithuania will we analyse the proposal and decide how to proceed,” Kuchynski said. He added that the team “would like to stay in Vilnius”, but began considering other options several months ago when the situation arose. He said there is currently “no date for a move and no plan”.
Lithuania downgraded Tsikhanouskaya’s security detail on October 7, transferring her protection from the Dignitary Protection Service – which guards Lithuanian top officials and visiting foreign leaders – to the Criminal Police Bureau, citing a reassessment of threats. Her office suspended in-person operations the next day, citing changes to her security system. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Tsikhanouskaya’s protection had not been removed but “adjusted”, while President Gitanas Nausėda accused some of exaggerating the situation.
Several Lithuanian politicians criticised the change, calling it political rather than technical. On October 17, authorities temporarily restored her previous level of protection while a new security regime is finalised.
Tsikhanouskaya has lived in Vilnius since August 2020, when she fled Belarus under pressure following her presidential campaign. Lithuania has been a key supporter of Belarus’ democratic movement, though some politicians have recently questioned the cost of her high-level security arrangements.
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