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WAR BY ABDUCTION ⟩ Belarus Kidnaps Lithuanian Citizen; German Man Faces Death Penalty in Minsk

Lithuanian Intelligence Chief Darius Jauniškis Photo: Zygimantas Gedvila
Updated 20th July 2024, 21:37
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Darius Jauniškis, the director of Lithuania's national security service, stated that the Belarusian regime has kidnapped a Lithuanian citizen. Last month, a Belarusian court sentenced a German citizen to death. Minsk claims it is holding negotiations with Berlin.

Jauniškis gave a public comment on a mid-June decision by a Belarusian court that convicted a Lithuanian woman of espionage and sentenced her to six years in prison. Lithuanian intelligence chief asserted that the Belarusian regime is willing to kidnap Lithuanian citizens.

"We are aware of the situation, and it is concerning. I assess that the Belarusian regime has, without cause, resorted to kidnapping Lithuanian citizens," Jauniškis said in an interview with the news portal 15min on July 11. "We deem this entirely unjustified and profoundly disturbing."

He emphasized that this incident exemplifies Belarus's willingness to abduct Lithuanian citizens. "It appears that appropriate measures and responses from Lithuanian authorities are well warranted," Jauniškis added.

Unjustified Charges

According to the Belarusian opposition portal afn.by and the television channel ONT, Elena Romanauskienė, an employee at the Belorus Sanatorium in Druskininkai, Lithuania, was convicted of engaging in covert activities. She was accused of repeatedly transmitting information about vacationing guests, including high-ranking Belarusian officials.

Minsk claims that Lithuanian intelligence services recruited her over a decade ago. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Baltic News Service that it is aware of the situation but emphasized that there is no reason to believe the charges are justified.

The news portal 15min reported that Belarusian authorities detained Romanauskienė last year when she visited Belarus to see her family. Afn.by reported that Andrei Kobel, the former chief doctor of a Belarusian sanatorium, was also sentenced to nine years in prison for spying for Lithuania. The Belarusian KGB arrested him at the end of 2022.

German Citizen Sentenced to Death

On July 20, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement that they are holding negotiations with Berlin over a German citizen who received a death sentence from a Belarusian court last month.

Rico Krieger, a 30-year-old German man, was found guilty at the end of June on six counts under the criminal code, although the exact details of the charges are unclear, according to the Viasna Human Rights Center yesterday.

The trial was held behind closed doors. Belarusian state media has not reported anything about the case.

A source from the German Foreign Ministry told AFP on July 19 that the ministry and the German Embassy in Minsk are providing consular services to the individual in question and making strong appeals to the Belarusian authorities on his behalf.

Belarus has reportedly executed around 400 people since gaining independence in 1991, according to the human rights organization Amnesty International. However, it is rare for foreigners to be executed.

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