News

On 9 August Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed the Migration Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs asking to  satisfy  the request  of a well-known Belarusian journalist Natalia Radina,  who applied for political asylum in Lithuania.

After the events of 19 December, 2010 in Minsk N.Radina, who is the editor of opposition website charter97.org, was subject to repression by the Belarusian authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also asks the Migration Department to consider the application of the journalist as soon as possible.

"Charter 97 is the herald of democratic changes in Belarus, and its activities are well known in Lithuania. This is an example of a consistent and successful activity in the creation of civil society. Natalia Radina should be given political asylum as soon as possible. Lithuania’s support for Belarusian civil society is consistent and strong, but the regrettable incident with Ales Belyatsky obliges us to strengthen this support even more," Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis said.

After the presidential elections in Belarus website charter97.org was registered in Lithuania, as its office in Belarus was closed, and computers were confiscated. Some of its employees moved to Vilnius and were provided with the legal conditions for living and working in Lithuania.

In June the House of United Belarus was established in Vilnius providing a facility for Belarusian non-governmental organizations, academics and intellectuals, who wish to continue their work in exile.

Closed in Belarus in 2004 the European Humanities University resumed its activities in Vilnius in 2005 owing to political, organizational and financial support of the Government of Lithuania, the European Commission, other EU states and the U.S. public funds and organisations.

The Belarusian branch of the international NGO Human Rights House  also operates in Vilnius.