Four Berlin lawyers have filed a request with the prosecutor general's office in the city of Karlsruhe on behalf of ten Belarusian nationals to charge President Alexander Lukashenko with crimes against humanity
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th May, 2021) Four Berlin lawyers have filed a request with the prosecutor general's office in the city of Karlsruhe on behalf of ten Belarusian nationals to charge President Alexander Lukashenko with crimes against humanity.
According to Greens lawmaker Benedikt Lux, the clients were arrested on spurious grounds, then subjected to torture and cruel treatment during their detention. The lawyers claim to have over 100 documented cases of torture by the Belarusian authorities.
"We expect that the prosecution will prosecute the international crimes committed in Belarus in accordance with its authority and in line with the universal jurisdiction principles," lawyer Onur Ozata said, as quoted by the German daily newspaper Tagesspiegel.
The newspaper reports that if German authorities open an investigation against Belarusian officials, it could entail limits on their freedom of movement and, in theory, arrests on the territory of European Union countries.
Belarus has been in a prolonged political crisis after the August 9 presidential election, won by incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko. The opposition has not recognized the results, claiming that Tikhanovskaya was the real winner. The dispute resulted in mass protests across the country. Several Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, have slapped sanctions on Belarusian officials deemed responsible for alleged electoral fraud and protest suppression.
