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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that Lithuania does not recognise the outcome of the so-called referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Belarus that took place in Belarus on 27 February and considers it invalid.

The referendum was organised by the institutions of the Belarusian regime that have lost their legitimacy in an environment of fear, repression of civil society, and suppression of alternative opinion. The Belarusian authorities have destroyed independent mass media. Penal facilities held more than 1,070 political prisoners. Other voices have been relentlessly silenced. The government has suppressed the freedom of expression.

A segment of the Belarusian society, forced into exile, has had no right to express a position. Under such conditions, it is impossible to genuinely engage in a public debate on fundamental issues pertaining to the country’s Constitution.

In addition, the so-called referendum was organised at a time when an unprecedented number of Russian occupying troops were deployed in the country and Russia was invading a neighbouring sovereign state of Ukraine from the territory of Belarus.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the aggressive actions by Russia and Belarus, and urges Russia to withdraw all of its troops and military equipment from the territory of Belarus and to end the invasion of Ukraine.

Against this backdrop, the plebiscite is viewed as only an attempt by Alexander Lukashenko to legitimise himself and to secure the leadership of Belarus indefinitely. This process cannot be regarded as credible in the eyes of both the Belarusian people and the international community. 

The only way out of the stalemate is to start as soon as possible a dialogue with Belarusia's civil society on new, free and fair elections, which would be monitored by international observers led by the OSCE/ODIHR and in line with internationally recognised standards.