Tsikhanouskaya Must Vacate Home 'Within 2-3 Weeks' As Lithuania Downgrades Security

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been told she must vacate secure housing in Vilnius amid a downgrade to her security detail by the Lithuanian authorities, according to a note one of her aides sent to Western embassies.

The note, provided to RFE/RL by a diplomatic source from an EU/NATO country and confirmed by two others, said the decision was communicated to Tsikhanouskaya’s office on October 1, with the security downgrade beginning on October 6.

“We were also told that she would need to vacate her secured housing within 2–3 weeks, after residing there for the past five years. Close protection was also withdrawn,” the note says.

Diplomatic sources told RFE/RL Tsikhanouskaya will lose her round-the-clock bodyguards, receiving instead lower-level police protection.

SEE ALSO: Released Belarusian Prisoner Dubsky Says He Was Forced To Cut Tattoo Off

Two aides to Tsikhanouskaya acknowledged they are in touch with the authorities over the situation, but stressed there have been no "official requests" made.

"We haven’t sent any official letters, but I can say that we communicated with diplomats personally about the ongoing situation," Dzianis Kuchynski, an adviser to Tsikhanouskaya, told RFE/RL’s Belarus Service.

Tsikhanouskaya herself did not immediately comment on the issue.

Earlier on October 9, however, she posted a short message on social media stating “no matter the obstacles, we will not stop."

"My team and I will keep fighting for political prisoners, defending the interests of Belarusians, and drawing the world’s attention to Lukashenka’s crimes,” she added.

Safety Fears

Earlier, a close aide to the Belarusian opposition leader told RFE/RL her team was waiting for more details from the Lithuanian authorities.

The move has raised concerns about Tsikhanouskaya’s safety amid fears she could be targeted by Belarusian agents. The downgrade of her security detail was first publicly reported on October 6.

SEE ALSO: Belarus Steps Up Attacks On Opposition, 5 Years After Crushing Mass Protests

“Following the announcement, our team members unfortunately began experiencing heightened pressure on their relatives in Belarus, explicitly linked to the downgrade of protection in Lithuania,” the note to Western embassies said.

Tsikhanouskaya has been an official guest of the Lithuanian government since being coerced to leave her country in 2020 and runs the main exiled Belarusian opposition organization from an office in Vilnius.

This office temporarily moved to remote working after the security downgrade.

Lithuania is host to 57,511 Belarusians, according to official figures released in January.

While many are in the country for economic reasons, Lithuania has provided a sanctuary to people fleeing Belarus since a brutal crackdown on mass protests there followed a disputed 2020 election that saw authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko claim victory.

Opposition leaders and most European governments -- including Lithuania -- refused to acknowledge Lukashenko's sixth consecutive election win saying the balloting was rigged.

Lithuania Pledges Ongoing Support

A new government took power in Vilnius over the summer that some critics say has softened its stance toward Minsk. But Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys assured journalists on October 8 that Lithuania's position towards Belarus has not changed.

"We need to do a lot together. Lithuania is ready, I am ready to continue cooperation. And all issues related to the organization of security, I hope, will be professionally and promptly resolved," Budrys told the ELTA news agency.

Earlier, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that the decision to downgrade Tsikhanouskaya’s security was made based on an assessment of risk. “Tsikhanouskaya has security, but it has been adjusted to take into account current realities," Ruginiene was quoted as saying by Delfi, a news outlet.

SEE ALSO: Tsikhanouskaya Urges Baltic States Not To Close Belarus Border Despite Growing Migrant Pressure

Lithuania’s public service TV and radio broadcaster has reported that reducing a 1-million-euro annual price tag for Tsikhanouskaya’s protection was also a factor.

Remigijus Motuzas, a lawmaker for the governing Social Democrats, told ELTA "this is definitely a question of funds. It also seems that this level of protection was not necessary."

Former Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, now in opposition, disagrees. He has responded to the decision by claiming that Lithuania is “betraying” Tsikhanouskaya.

“The reasons behind the decision remain obscure, but it is clear that the main beneficiary is Lukashenko – forcing Svyatlana out, hoping to silence her, questioning her legitimacy is exactly what he has been dreaming about for a long time,” he wrote.

A Diplomatic Thaw

The decision comes as Lukashenko is seeking to emerge from the diplomatic isolation that he has faced since his 2020 crackdown.

This has included a phone call with US President Donald Trump and deals with Washington to release a number of political prisoners, including Tsikhanouskaya’s husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski.

In return, Washington has dropped on the Belarusian state-owned airline Belavia.

Landsbergis said the current government also wished to improve ties with Lukashenko. “The current Lithuanian government, especially its more radical elements, always wanted to return to business as usual with the Belarusian dictator,” he wrote.

Whatever the reasons for the move, concerns remain for the safety of Tsikhanouskaya and other Belarusian political exiles.

Police protection was not enough to stop Russian opposition activist Leonid Volkov being attacked with a hammer in Vilnius in March 2024.

Two Belarussian activists abroad have disappeared this year. Anatol Kotau went missing in Turkey in August. Angelika Melnikova was last seen in Poland in March.

Prominent opposition figure Paval Latushka, who also lives in Poland, told RFE/RL’s Belarus Service that "Several times I was informed by the Polish special services that they managed to prevent the actions of the Belarusian regime's special services."

"If you count how many threats I received through social networks, e-mails, and from ambassadors, I received at least 160 threats," he added.