Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has told RFE/RL's Current Time that Latvia and Lithuania should keep their borders with Belarus open despite growing tensions about migrants.
Her comments came days after Lithuania lodged a complaint at a top UN court seeking action against Belarus over the issue.
Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have seen growing numbers of migrants seeking to enter from Belarus since 2021, and say that Minsk is deliberately driving them there in a hybrid operation aimed at destabilizing the three EU countries.
"I understand why this issue comes up, because it is easier to close the entire border and not let anyone through," said Tsikhanouskaya.
"But we defend the rights of Belarusians. We understand that sometimes an open border is their only way to avoid prison and flee," she added.
The 42-year-old opposition leader has been based in Lithuania since fleeing Belarus in 2020, and has supported Lithuania's legal moves at the United Nations.
But she said "the complete closure of the border is now being discussed. These questions will be raised as long as the war [between Russia and Ukraine] continues, as long as [Belarusian authoritarian leader Aleksandr] Lukashenko keeps sending migrants to the border."
Lithuania is seeking compensation from Belarus for "organizing the large-scale smuggling of migrants" into its territory.
Despite acknowledging the rising pressure to seal borders amid growing tensions, Tsikhanouskaya warned that doing so could have unintended consequences and urged the Baltic states not to "limit freedom."
"We must save connections between people, she said. "Relatives need to meet. We need people from Belarus to come [to Latvia and Lithuania] and pass on information they have," Tsikhanouskaya said.
Neighboring countries have already imposed many restrictions on entry from Belarus, for instance against cars registered there. But there is still cross-border transit, such as by bus.
Tsikhanouskaya also spoke about the plight of political prisoners in Belarus.
According to the Belarusian human rights group Vyasna, the Lukashenko regime has incarcerated some 1,189 people for political reasons.
A statement on May 22 by 37 European nations plus Canada called for their release, noting that "many of them are subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including deprivation of necessary medical assistance."
Among those locked up are RFE/RL journalist Ihar Losik, who was jailed in June 2020 on charges that Western governments have condemned as politically motivated.
Tsikhanouskaya's husband Syarhey Tsikhanouski was detained in May 2020, while running for president against Lukashenko. His jailing propelled her into politics, as she took up his candidacy.
"Even in prison, you can't strangle or crush the will for change, for freedom, no matter how much they try," she said.
"But they are trying with very brutal means: physically and psychologically."
Tsikhanouskaya would not be drawn on what she thinks the future holds for Belarus, where Lukashenko has stifled dissent throughout his nearly 30-year grip on power.
But she did say that the current moment was crucial, pointing to diplomatic moves for a cease-fire in Ukraine.
Lukashenko has been a firm supporter of Moscow, allowing his country to be used as a launch pad for Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
"Everything possible must be done so that Belarus is not forgotten in these talks," Tsikhanouskaya said.
"If Lukashenko continues to rule, serving Putin, then Belarus will be a constant threat not only to Belarusians themselves, but to...Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland."
