Lithuanian citizen sentenced to 15 years in Belarus appears in state propaganda video

A Belarusian state television channel has broadcast a video showing a Lithuanian citizen sentenced to 15 years in prison confessing to espionage for Lithuania, a report that Vilnius has dismissed as a staged provocation, *LRT* reports.

Miroslavas Trockis, a Lithuanian national convicted in Minsk two weeks ago, appears in the footage declaring, *”I am an agent of an intelligence service.”* The broadcast includes dramatised scenes of his arrest by Belarusian KGB officers, who claim he gathered information on law enforcement, military, and political affairs while participating in covert operations.

Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry stated that diplomats have been denied consular access to Trockis, while Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius called the video *”another provocation by Belarus against our citizens and our state.”* Political analyst Vytis Jurkonis described the production as *”artificial”* and designed to portray Lithuania as an *”aggressive neighbour”* for domestic audiences.

Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys reiterated warnings against travel to Belarus, classifying it as a high-risk destination. *”Do not go to Belarus. It is dangerous. That country is on our blacklist—we advise leaving as soon as possible,”* he said.

The broadcast coincides with a planned visit by US Chargé d’Affaires John Coale to Minsk, where further political prisoner releases may be announced. Experts noted a recent prisoner swap between Belarus and Poland, suggesting a pattern of using detainees as bargaining tools.

Belarus currently holds up to ten Lithuanian citizens in detention.

Tags: belarus, espionage, lithuania