VISIT TO SWEDEN
At the beginning of the week, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid a working visit to Sweden.
On May 20, the Belarusian leader met with the Prime Minister and the Minister for European Affairs of Sweden. During the meeting, the parties discussed support for Belarusian civil society and independent media, aid to political prisoners as well as visas for Belarusians and other issues. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Sweden for launching procedures to simplify the migration procedures for Belarusians, including allowing them to apply for residency with expired passports. Sweden has also changed its assessment of Belarus – the country is no longer considered safe, which means easier legalization of stay for Belarusians.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also met with the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament and members of the delegations to the OSCE PA and PACE.
The Stockholm Conference on Belarus was held on May 21-22. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a speech at the opening. She also held a number of meetings on the sidelines of the conference, including with the former Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Linas Linkevičius; the current leader of the opposition, First Secretary of the Swedish Social Democratic Workers’ Party, and former Prime Minister of Sweden, Magdalena Andersson; and the group “For a Democratic Belarus”.
On May 21, as part of the Stockholm Conference on Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated in the event “My Future, an Empty Seat” dedicated to contemporary Belarusian culture, where she gave a speech.
On May 21, the Minister of Sweden for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Johan Forssell, announced the country’s contribution of five million Swedish kronor (over 400,000 euros) to support political prisoners in Belarus. Mr. Forssell noted that deepening dialogue with the Belarusian democratic forces in exile, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, is a priority for Swedish policy.
During the work trip, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the Swedish Prime Minister, Tobias Billström, co-authored an op-ed for the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus. They noted that, as Belarus continues to fight for its independence, international support remains important. This shows that support for democracy in Belarus remains a priority at the international level.
On the sidelines of the Stockholm Conference on Belarus, a non-public panel discussion took place, involving diplomats, officials, and politicians from EU countries and the USA. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya informed them about the aid that Belarus needs.
In the evening of May 21, the leader met with the Belarusian diaspora in Sweden. They held a rally for the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus. After the rally, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya spoke with the participants and delivered a speech: “When you feel support and solidarity, it gives you the strength to fight”.
On May 22, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the opening of the second day of the Stockholm Conference on Belarus. In her speech, she thanked Sweden for organizing the event and the participants for an inspiring first day, noting the importance of discussing Belarusian identity and culture.
Also, during the second day of the conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the panel discussion “Empowering Belarusian Democracy Advocates”: “Please view support for a democratic Belarus as your own investment in the peace and security of the entire continent. Without a free Belarus and Ukraine, the European project will never be complete”.
NEW BELARUS CONFERENCE 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya announced the New Belarus Conference 2024, which will bring together Belarusian democratic forces, activists, and the diaspora to discuss strategic priorities for the coming year. The event will take place in Vilnius on August 3-4.
CONGRESS ON POLITICAL PRISONERS IN PRAGUE
On May 23-25, the #WithoutJustCause Congress on Political Prisoners was held in Prague. The event was organized by the Office of Belarus Democratic Forces in the Czech Republic with the support of the US Embassy and featured representatives from leading Belarusian human rights organizations and humanitarian initiatives, legal experts, Belarusian and international politicians and diplomats, as well as former political prisoners and their families.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a touching speech at the congress: “I hope for a miracle that would let my children hug their father”.
The congress in Prague was the first major expert and political event entirely dedicated to the issue of political prisoners after the 2020 events. Unlike other events, this congress was designed to discuss the problems of political prisoners through public dialogue.
PACE STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She congratulated Lithuania on assuming the Presidency of the CoE’s Committee of Ministers, thanked the country for the support, and called for granting democratic Belarus an observer status in the committee. She emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the struggle for freedom and urged the PACE to isolate the dictatorial regimes of Putin and Lukashenka while continuing to support the Belarusian people.
DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH POLITICAL PRISONERS IN BELARUS
May 21 marked the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya released a video address about political prisoners, emphasizing the massive repression in the country and noting that thousands of people have been behind bars, many experienced torture.
During her working visit to Sweden, the Belarusian leader met with the diaspora. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made an emotional speech at a solidarity rally, sharing her personal pain and urging Belarusians to continue working for the release of political prisoners.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Belarusians for their rallies of solidarity with political prisoners, which she called a collective step towards justice. She called for continued support for political prisoners.
Belarusian initiatives and activists organized a number of events for the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, which all took place from May 19 to 26. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office compiled a list of such events.
SUPPORT FOR POLITICAL PRISONER PALINA SHARENDA-PANASIUK
Political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk was not released after serving her sentence. A new criminal case was initiated against her. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for solidarity with Palina: “Yesterday, fearless Palina Sharenda Panasiuk, who fully completed her 4-year illegal sentence, was not released as she should have been. In prison, she was tortured and ill-treated. I call on the international community not to leave this unnoticed”.
CHANGES IN EDUCATION IN BELARUS
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Education and Science, Tatiana Shchyttsova, commented on the recent meeting between representatives of the education ministries of Belarus and Russia, during which they discussed plans for the unification of educational programs for colleges and broader cooperation between the countries in education.
IHAR LOSIK’S BIRTHDAY
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya released a statement on Ihar Losik’s birthday: “Today, Ihar Losik turns 32. He should be spending this spring day with his wife and daughter. But the regime deprived him of this opportunity, sentencing him to 15 years in prison – the longest sentence for a Belarusian journalist”.
PROBLEMS OF BELARUSIAN INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Senior Advisor, Franak Viacorka, participated in the Lviv Media Forum and reflected on the current issues facing the media.
COORDINATION COUNCIL ELECTION
The Coordination Council held an online voting, allowing Belarusians to elect its new members. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked both the candidates and the voters: “This is the Coordination Council’s first attempt to organize an independent election campaign – something Belarusians have not seen for decades”.
MEDIA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was interviewed by Financial Times (UK and international), Altinget (Sweden), Kanał Zero (Poland), EW Magazine (Netherlands), Polskie Radio (Poland), Nettavisen (Norway), and RESPEKT (Czech Republic).
