Lithuania temporarily lifts entry ban for 117 Belarusian officials due to expired sanctions

Lithuania has temporarily lifted an entry ban for 117 Belarusian officials after authorities failed to extend sanctions in time, state broadcaster LRT reported Tuesday.

The officials, linked to the Minsk regime, were originally barred from entering Lithuania in 2021 for their roles in repression following Belarus’s disputed 2020 presidential election. The five-year restriction expired on March 24.

Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič confirmed that his ministry received a formal request from the Foreign Ministry to renew the sanctions only after their validity had lapsed. “There is a theoretical possibility [for them to enter], but no practical one,” he said, noting that other countries likely maintain similar restrictions.

Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys acknowledged procedural delays, stating that the necessary documents were prepared only on Tuesday. “I don’t know the bureaucratic technicalities,” he told reporters, adding that procedures would be reviewed to prevent future lapses.

Under Lithuanian law, the interior minister imposes entry bans based on proposals from the foreign minister, with the Migration Department responsible for enforcing them. The 2021 sanctions targeted officials accused of election fraud, violent crackdowns on protesters, and human rights violations.

Human rights group Viasna estimates over 1,100 political prisoners remain in Belarus, many detained after the 2020 protests.