• Lithuania has filed a case against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• The case accuses Belarus of orchestrating illegal migration and human rights violations.
• Lithuania seeks compensation for border reinforcement costs incurred due to the migrant crisis.
• Evidence suggests Belarusian security forces facilitated illegal crossings into Lithuania.
• Bilateral negotiations failed before Lithuania sought judicial intervention.

Lithuania's Foreign Ministry announced that it has filed a case against Belarus at the International Court of Justice, accusing the neighboring state of "deliberately orchestrating a migrant crisis" and violating international law regarding the smuggling of migrants. Lithuanian Justice Minister Rimantas Mockus stated, "The Belarusian regime must be held legally accountable for orchestrating the wave of illegal migration and the resulting human rights violations," emphasizing the need for consequences under international law, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The case, submitted in The Hague, claims that Belarus is in breach of the United Nations Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. Lithuania's reported evidence indicates that state-owned airlines facilitated flights from the Middle East, after which Belarusian security forces allegedly escorted migrants toward the Lithuanian border for illegal crossings, as noted by multiple sources, including AA and Al Jazeera.

Following failed bilateral negotiations between Lithuania and Belarus, the Baltic nation is also seeking damages for the costs of border reinforcement as a direct consequence of the crisis sparked by Belarus's actions, underlining the severity of the situation which intensified in 2021. As stated by Lithuania's Foreign Ministry, evidence confirms "the direct involvement of the Belarusian regime in organizing the flow of migrants," according to Reuters and AA.