According to a recent announcement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian residents are in a worrying scenario where there is a possibility of being detained illegally after being given falsified accusations, according to EU Helpers.
The same source claims that Lithuanian travelers have been subjected to questioning at border checkpoints, where they have been coerced into cooperating with police using techniques including extortion and psychological coercion.
The statement reads, "Smart devices are taken from travelers during the interrogations at the border — phones, computers, contacts, correspondence, and other information are checked, which can later be used against them as well as against their family members, relatives, and acquaintances."
In this context, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Deputy Interior Minister, noted that Lithuanian citizens inside Belarus may encounter provocative and hazardous circumstances. He continued by saying that these options also include public servants and representatives of the government.
According to the Ministry, a decision was made to substantially cut Lithuania's diplomatic representation in Belarus to just one diplomat in July 2021, when Prime Minister Lukashenko was in power. Furthermore, the embassy's capacity to assist Lithuanian citizens in the majority of circumstances has been further constrained by the aggressive and illegal acts of the Belarusian authorities.
As a result, booths have been set up at six border crossings to remind people of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' advise to stay away from Belarus and to urge those who are already there to leave right away.
The operations at the border crossing points at Umsk and Tverecius, two of the six border control posts (BCPs) along the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, have just been temporarily halted.
Ramnas Dilba, the Chancellor of Lithuania's Ministry of Transport and Communications, made the announcement and noted that, as of just now, there has been a change in the licenses issued for various types of cars at the border crossings at Umsk and Tverecius along the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.
Lithuanian officials also tightened their entry-level inspection procedures in July of this year, especially for travelers from its neighbors Belarus and Russia.
According to information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a total of 1,200 Belarusians and 1,300 Russians had their visas for Lithuania denied from January 1, 2023, and the end of June.