| Dokumendiregister | Justiitsministeerium |
| Viit | 12-1/8909-1 |
| Registreeritud | 19.12.2024 |
| Sünkroonitud | 20.12.2024 |
| Liik | Sissetulev kiri |
| Funktsioon | 12 Rahvusvahelise justiitskoostöö korraldamine |
| Sari | 12-1 Kirjavahetus kriminaalasjades |
| Toimik | 12-1/2024 |
| Juurdepääsupiirang | Avalik |
| Juurdepääsupiirang | |
| Adressaat | Migration Legin |
| Saabumis/saatmisviis | Migration Legin |
| Vastutaja | Julia Deržilo (Justiitsministeerium, Kantsleri vastutusvaldkond, Kriminaalpoliitika valdkond, Kriminaalpoliitika osakond, Rahvusvahelise justiitskoostöö talitus) |
| Originaal | Ava uues aknas |
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga. |
Dear Sir/Madam,
Please find attached a formal request concerning the policy of detention of Belarusian citizens and the activities of Interpol within your country. We kindly ask you to review the document and, if necessary, forward it to the appropriate competent authority should this request not fall under your direct jurisdiction.
We greatly appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Legal Initiative
Viešoji įstaiga «Teisinė iniciatyva» Duomenys kaupiami ir saugomi Juridinių asmenų registre, kodas 305806589.
Kalvarijų g. 125, Vilnius, LT-08221. Mob. tel. +37064167032; el. paštas: [email protected]
https://torturesbelarus2020.org
To: Ministry of Justice
CC: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Interpol National Bureau
Public Prosecutor’s Office
Vilnius, 18/12/2024
Interpol requests from Belarus processing procedure
Following the contested presidential election in August 2020, numerous reports from international
organizations have raised serious concerns about the situation in Belarus. These include the breakdown of
the justice system, the widespread use of torture in prisons, and the detention of over 60,000 individuals,
with around 1,500 recognized as political prisoners. Detentions and arrests reportedly continue to this day.
Regrettably, even those who have left Belarus, including politicians, journalists, lawyers, and other
prominent figures, often remain under threat due to the extraterritorial reach of Belarusian authorities. One
concerning example is the use of Interpol mechanisms, such as Red Notices and diffusions, to target
political opponents abroad.
VšĮ «Teisinė iniciatyva» (Legal Initiative) is a Belarusian human rights organization that has continued
its work after being re-registered in the Republic of Lithuania. Previously, we operated as the NGO Legal
Initiative, officially registered in the Republic of Belarus.
Our organization co-founded the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and
actively represents this initiative. The Committee plays a significant role in documenting evidence of
torture and human rights violations in Belarus. It is also a co-lead and Steering Committee member of the
International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), established to gather, preserve, and analyze
evidence of human rights abuses in Belarus. More details about our work can be found on our website:
legin.info.
In addition to our work on accountability for human rights violations, we are actively engaged in the field
of forced migration and human rights. Our organization provides legal and informational support to
Belarusians who have been forced to leave their country due to persecution and threats to their safety.
This includes advocacy for their protection, assistance in asylum procedures, and efforts to ensure respect
for their fundamental rights.
The Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, in its meeting on March 3-4, 2022, emphasized the
importance of adhering to the Interpol Constitution, which prohibits any actions of a political, military,
religious, or racial nature. In light of this, it is crucial to carefully examine extradition requests from
Belarus and reject those with evident political motives.
We recognize and deeply value the role your country can play as a place of refuge and protection for
Belarusians seeking safety from persecution. Ensuring that individuals fleeing political repression have
the opportunity to remain on your territory and seek protection would reflect your country’s strong
commitment to international human rights standards.
Given the above, we would be grateful if you could clarify the following points:
1. Is there currently a special procedure applied to Red Notices and diffusions issued by Belarus in
your country?
2. Does this imply that a Belarusian individual might be detained pending a court's extradition
decision?
3. Are there publicly available statistics on such cases for further analysis?
We are ready to provide detailed legal information on why deportations to Belarus may raise serious
concerns under international human rights standards, as well as examples of Belarusians persecuted
abroad through Interpol mechanisms. Additionally, we would be happy to share suggestions on preventing
the misuse of Interpol by the Belarusian authorities.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly should you require further clarification. We look forward to
your response.
Please send your reply to the email address: [email protected]
Best regards,
Kristina Rikhter
Legal Advisor
Director VšĮ «Teisinė iniciatyva»
Viktoria Fedorova
Viešoji įstaiga «Teisinė iniciatyva» Duomenys kaupiami ir saugomi Juridinių asmenų registre, kodas 305806589.
Kalvarijų g. 125, Vilnius, LT-08221. Mob. tel. +37064167032; el. paštas: [email protected]
https://torturesbelarus2020.org
To: Ministry of Justice
CC: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Interpol National Bureau
Public Prosecutor’s Office
Vilnius, 18/12/2024
Interpol requests from Belarus processing procedure
Following the contested presidential election in August 2020, numerous reports from international
organizations have raised serious concerns about the situation in Belarus. These include the breakdown of
the justice system, the widespread use of torture in prisons, and the detention of over 60,000 individuals,
with around 1,500 recognized as political prisoners. Detentions and arrests reportedly continue to this day.
Regrettably, even those who have left Belarus, including politicians, journalists, lawyers, and other
prominent figures, often remain under threat due to the extraterritorial reach of Belarusian authorities. One
concerning example is the use of Interpol mechanisms, such as Red Notices and diffusions, to target
political opponents abroad.
VšĮ «Teisinė iniciatyva» (Legal Initiative) is a Belarusian human rights organization that has continued
its work after being re-registered in the Republic of Lithuania. Previously, we operated as the NGO Legal
Initiative, officially registered in the Republic of Belarus.
Our organization co-founded the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and
actively represents this initiative. The Committee plays a significant role in documenting evidence of
torture and human rights violations in Belarus. It is also a co-lead and Steering Committee member of the
International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), established to gather, preserve, and analyze
evidence of human rights abuses in Belarus. More details about our work can be found on our website:
legin.info.
In addition to our work on accountability for human rights violations, we are actively engaged in the field
of forced migration and human rights. Our organization provides legal and informational support to
Belarusians who have been forced to leave their country due to persecution and threats to their safety.
This includes advocacy for their protection, assistance in asylum procedures, and efforts to ensure respect
for their fundamental rights.
The Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, in its meeting on March 3-4, 2022, emphasized the
importance of adhering to the Interpol Constitution, which prohibits any actions of a political, military,
religious, or racial nature. In light of this, it is crucial to carefully examine extradition requests from
Belarus and reject those with evident political motives.
We recognize and deeply value the role your country can play as a place of refuge and protection for
Belarusians seeking safety from persecution. Ensuring that individuals fleeing political repression have
the opportunity to remain on your territory and seek protection would reflect your country’s strong
commitment to international human rights standards.
Given the above, we would be grateful if you could clarify the following points:
1. Is there currently a special procedure applied to Red Notices and diffusions issued by Belarus in
your country?
2. Does this imply that a Belarusian individual might be detained pending a court's extradition
decision?
3. Are there publicly available statistics on such cases for further analysis?
We are ready to provide detailed legal information on why deportations to Belarus may raise serious
concerns under international human rights standards, as well as examples of Belarusians persecuted
abroad through Interpol mechanisms. Additionally, we would be happy to share suggestions on preventing
the misuse of Interpol by the Belarusian authorities.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly should you require further clarification. We look forward to
your response.
Please send your reply to the email address: [email protected]
Best regards,
Kristina Rikhter
Legal Advisor
Director VšĮ «Teisinė iniciatyva»
Viktoria Fedorova