The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) claims to have data on a dozen Lithuanian citizens who are currently detained or serving a sentence in Belarus, the portal Delfi informs.
"Currently, we have information about a dozen citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, detained and/or serving a sentence in Belarus. "Belarusian institutions do not always immediately inform Lithuanian institutions about cases of detention of Lithuanian citizens," states the MFA's response to Delfi.
Lithuanian authorities have repeatedly warned that it is not safe for Lithuanians to travel to Belarus.
As stated by the Department of State Security (VSD), the intelligence services of Belarus have been intensifying their activities on the border with Lithuania for some time. As the department reports, Lithuanian citizens traveling to Belarus are interrogated at border points using blackmail and psychological pressure, and are also forced to cooperate with Belarusian intelligence services.
VSD currently recommends avoiding travel to both Belarus and Russia.
