Lithuanian Citizen Dies Suddenly In Belarusian Custody

• 12.03.2024, 16:58

He was detained on suspicion of smuggling.

Lithuania sent Belarus a strong protest note following the death in custody of its citizen detained on suspicion of ammunition smuggling, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania reports.

The Lithuanian citizen was detained in Belarus on December 31, 2023 at the Beniakoni border crossing. As Hrodna Customs reported in its press release of January 10 this year, 98 9×18 cartridges were allegedly found in his car.

A criminal case was initiated against the man under Part 1 of Art. 333-1 of the Criminal Code ("Illegal movement of ammunition across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union or the State Border of the Republic of Belarus").

The Lithuanian was taken into custody, where he later died. On this fact, Vilnius handed the Chargé d 'Affaires of Belarus in Lithuania a note expressing "strong protest".

"The Council of the Republic of Lithuania were not properly informed about the detention of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and the grounds for this measure, about the state of health of the citizen, they were not given the opportunity to visit the detainee and provide him with the necessary consular assistance. By such actions, the Republic of Belarus grossly violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," the protest note reads.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry demanded that the Belarusian side immediately provide information about the state of the citizen at the time of detention, confirm the fact of death and indicate all the circumstances.