AMSTERDAM, March 12 (Reuters) - Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court said on Thursday they had opened an investigation into whether the government of Belarus committed crimes that led to deportations of its opponents.
Belarus is not a member of the ICC, but the case was brought by Lithuania, which is a member.
Prosecutors determined that at least part of the alleged crimes by Belarusian authorities were committed on Lithuania's territory, giving them jurisdiction.
"There is a reasonable basis to believe that the coercive acts leading to deportation constituted a course of conduct against actual or perceived opponents of the Government of Belarus," the prosecutors said.
"There is also a reasonable basis to believe that these crimes were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population, considering their large scale, the number of victims, and the organised nature of the acts."
(Reporting by Bart Meijer and Makini Brice)
