Lithuanian police are set to take over security duties for Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, authorities said Friday.
“I can confirm that police are taking over Tsikhanouskaya’s security,” Ramūnas Matonis, a spokesman for the Police Department, told BNS, adding that the change would take effect “in the coming days”.
Until now, Tsikhanouskaya has been guarded by Lithuania’s Dignitary Protection Service. Plans to scale back the level of protection for her and her offices were announced in October.
Security specialists have said the change could mean that her home and workplace will remain guarded, but that she would no longer receive personal protection in Lithuania or abroad. Matonis declined to comment on specific security arrangements.
Supporters of the decision say the move reflects the current level of threat and was made for technical reasons.
Critics, however, argue the change is politically motivated and aimed at appeasing those who believe Tsikhanouskaya has received disproportionate attention and that excessive resources have been devoted to her protection. They say the decision undermines her status as a leading opposition figure.
Earlier media reports suggested Tsikhanouskaya could move to Poland following the change in her security status. Her diplomatic adviser, Dzianis Kuchynski, said at the time that a final decision on her protection in Lithuania had not yet been made.
Tsikhanouskaya, who came to Lithuania in 2020 after challenging Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in a disputed election, said this week she was in talks with Lithuanian authorities over the organisation of her security and stressed that she does not want to leave the country.
Opposition criticises security downgrade
Lithuania’s parliamentary opposition on Friday criticised the decision to transfer Tsikhanouskaya’s security to the police.
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the opposition Liberal Movement, said the decision was political rather than technical and reflected a broader shift in Lithuania's foreign policy stance.
“This is not a technical issue, it is a political decision by Inga Ruginienė’s government, and it clearly shows Lithuania drifting in terms of values and foreign policy,” she told reporters in the parliament.
She said the decision could discourage opposition figures from continuing their activities in Lithuania.
“I am very concerned. Vilnius could effectively become a province, because people cannot travel here with confidence and representatives of the democratic opposition do not want to be here,” she said, adding that the move appeared driven by a search for “cheap popularity”.
Lukas Savickas, a lawmaker from the Democrats “For Lithuania” group, said that amid heightened geopolitical tensions Lithuania should ensure secure conditions for democratic forces to operate.
“These decisions certainly do not look purely technical to me, they have a certain political aftertaste,” he added.
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