The political scientist assessed the prospects of the Belarusian opposition in Lithuania

The headquarters of the Belarusian opposition, headed by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, may soon move from Lithuania to a larger Western country. This was stated by Nikolai Mezhevich, head of the Center for Belarusian Studies at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in an interview with Izvestia.

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"Lithuania is a small country where everything is in plain sight. Tikhanovskaya and her headquarters stand out too much from the general background. Somewhere in Berlin, they will feel more comfortable, they will be able to master European grants in a more relaxed atmosphere, while they will be less conspicuous to local voters," the expert notes.

Mezhevich adds that in 2020, Vilnius hoped to increase its influence in Belarus with Tikhanovskaya's help. Gradually, however, hopes evaporated, and irritation began to grow instead.

Earlier on October 7, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kastutis Budris announced that the country's authorities had reduced the security level of Tikhanovskaya. Previously, she was looked after as the first person of the state, now as a witness at a trial.

On October 8, Tikhanovskaya's office announced that it had suspended operations due to new developments. "The warning came very quickly, we didn't have time to adjust our activities accordingly," explained Denis Kuchinsky, a representative of the headquarters.

Presidential elections were held in Belarus in 2020. According to the official results, Alexander Lukashenko received 80% of the vote, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya — 10%. The opposition did not recognize the results of the vote, and mass protests took place in the country.

Read more about how the opponents of the Belarusian authorities are hastily changing their location in the Izvestia article:

Sooner or later: how the Belarusian opposition is being squeezed out of Lithuania

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