Kyiv has taken the first official step towards holding Alexander Lukashenko criminally liable. The Office of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sent a letter to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kравченко requesting consideration of initiating criminal proceedings against the Belarusian leader.
The document was made public on July 28. It states that the initiative arose in response to an appeal from the opposition group "Belarusian Democratic Forum," which is in exile. Back in May, opposition representatives appealed to Zelenskyy demanding that Lukashenko be held accountable for actions they consider criminal.
Reaction of the President's Office
On July 28, Deputy Head of the President's Office Oleksandr Tatarov confirmed that the appeal had been forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office. The letter contains a request to "take appropriate response measures" if there are legal grounds for doing so. Thus, the question of initiating a case has been referred to the relevant authority.
Although the prospects of Lukashenko standing trial in a Ukrainian court remain unclear, the very fact of a potential accusation is significant. As analysts note, such steps could be used by Ukraine and the Belarusian opposition as a tool of pressure on the West — especially in the context of Minsk's negotiations with the US on lifting sanctions in exchange for the release of political prisoners.
Position of the opposition
Dmitry Balkunets, Secretary General of the "Belarusian Democratic Forum," stated that the prosecution of Lukashenko "will significantly increase his personal legal and security risks." According to him, this will be an act of historical justice.
"This could have a profound impact within Belarus, because Lukashenko will take this very personally and will be deeply concerned about the consequences," Balkunets emphasized in a comment to Reuters.
Context of international accusations
Earlier, leader of the Belarusian opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted that two cases against Lukashenko are already being considered by the International Criminal Court. The first concerns crimes against humanity, the second — complicity in the deportation of Ukrainian children.
Recall that the authorities of Belarus continue to scare citizens with the forced transfer from civilian to military structures. Lukashenko himself voiced fabricated grounds for such measures, which causes concern among the population and international observers.
