Lithuanian activist Antanas Kandrotas gives interview to Belarusian state propaganda after fleeing to Minsk

A controversial Lithuanian activist, Antanas Kandrotas-Celofanas, has given an interview to Belarusian state propaganda outlets after announcing his departure from Lithuania to Belarus, LRT.lt and BNS report.

Kandrotas, who has faced multiple legal cases in Lithuania for his role in protests and incidents, told Belarusian state television channel Belarus-4 that he had been “evacuated” from Lithuania due to alleged persecution. The interview, titled “Hysteria in Lithuania: Well-known Lithuanian politician Antanas Kandrotas arrives in Belarus and tells the whole truth about the persecution he experienced in his homeland,” was broadcast on Monday.

In the interview, Kandrotas claimed Lithuania is moving toward “civil war,” citing repression against those who commemorate Victory Day on May 9—a Soviet-era holiday still observed by some in Lithuania. “People who find this holiday important go to cemeteries with flowers. It’s clear they face repression—both from law enforcement and fascist-leaning activists who harass them, report them, and delete their social media accounts,” he said. “This is another division, and perhaps certain forces are deliberately persecuting these people. We are heading toward civil war.”

He also criticized Lithuania’s removal of Soviet-era monuments, calling it an erasure of history. “Some forces want to make life difficult for these people. As for the demolition of monuments, I don’t even want to discuss it. It’s a separate, very sad topic—we are destroying our own history,” Kandrotas stated.

The activist, who is subject to a travel restriction in Lithuania, confirmed to Delfi that he had flown to Minsk for the second time this year. In a earlier video posted on Telegram, he claimed to be addressing “serious issues” in Belarus, stating, “As they say, you love your homeland not with words but with deeds. This year, I’ve worked in Minsk twice already. There are serious matters, many problems to solve. We’ve done good work.”

Belarusian state media framed Kandrotas as a “political refugee” from the Baltic states, while independent Belarusian outlet Naša Niva reported that he discussed Lithuania’s alleged economic struggles, the impact of sanctions on Belarus, and praised the regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.