Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya joined the discussion “Political Prisoners in Belarus: Working Together to Advocate their Release”, which focused on the challenges political prisoners and their families have faced since 2020, as well as potential measures to strengthen human rights and democracy in Belarus.
In her speech, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the plight of political prisoners in Belarus and urged OSCE member states to support the referral Lithuania has submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya:
“Good Afternoon, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Дарагія беларускія сябры,
Ambassador Oskalns
Professor Benedek
Dear Volha, Dear friends,
I want to start with words of gratitude to all 30 countries who joined the Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus in OSCE. One year ago, we were only ten.
This group is a coalition of like-minded states who share values and believe in a peaceful and democratic Europe – where there is no place for tyranny and war.
Huge thanks to Poland, not only for hosting us today but for becoming a safe refuge for hundreds of thousands of Belarusians. Alongside Lithuania and Latvia, Poland has hosted more than 350,000 Belarusians fleeing terror and even changed its legislation to make our people comfortable here.
I want to thank Malta for its leadership in the OSCE and for organizing this conference in particular. For us, there is no topic more urgent than our political prisoners.
Their fate is my personal pain. As you know, my husband, Siarhei, has been held incommunicado for more than 500 days. No information. No letters. No calls. I don’t even know if he’s alive. Same as Ihar Losik, Maria Kalesnikava, Viktar Babaryka, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk or Mikalai Statkevich.
People in prisons are denied not only basic rights but also basic things, legal or medical aid, like Ales Bialiatski. Many people are literally dying. Among more than 1300 political prisoners, 29 are in critical condition.
Together with human rights defenders we have compiled a humanitarian list of 224 individuals, including minors, the elderly, people with serious health conditions, or mothers of many children. These people must be released immediately and unconditionally.
The terror that started 4 years ago doesn’t stop for a single day. The regime is taking revenge on Belarusian people for exercising their rights, for demanding changes and free elections. Journalists and human rights defenders are labeled terrorists and extremists. Many people are sentenced to years of prison for online commentaries, or donating to families of the repressed.
People who have served their terms are hard to recognize, they look as if they have returned from the Gulag.
Even those hundreds of thousands, forced into exile, can not feel safe. Many are facing trials “in absentia”. Their families in Belarus are prosecuted and intimidated. This is the case with Anatol Liabiedzka’s son or Pavel Latushka’s cousin. Property of the refugees is confiscated and sold by the state. They are deprived of documents, detained upon crossing the border, wanted through Interpol. Like Andrey Gnyot who is under house arrest in Serbia for a year already, on the Lukashenka regime’s request.
Belarus has become a laboratory of repression, and other dictatorships, like Putin’s, are learning from it. But the most outrageous thing is that all this repression is carried out with a feeling of impunity. The victims can not defend their rights in courts, and not a single perpetrator was brought to justice.
Recently, Lukashenka has pardoned several dozen political prisoners – out of thousands. And this is the right step, we welcome it, it must continue.
However, how can you pardon someone who is not guilty?
Unfortunately, this “pardoning” happened amidst new arrests. Just yesterday, I read on Viasna Human Rights center’s webpage, that 115 were released since July, while another 142 were recognized as political prisoners.
So we can’t talk about any substantial change of policy here. And I wouldn’t suspect the regime of humanism either. Rather, we can talk about a gesture, aimed primarily to improve Lukashenka’s image among Belarusians, but also in the eyes of the international community, before the so-called upcoming election.
The main signal that we expect and must demand is the end of repression. Stop detentions, suspend political trials. And then, release political prisoners. I understand, it may not happen in one day, it’s a process, but we must start it now and leave no one behind.
If the regime wants concessions of any kind – though we still don’t know exactly what they want from the world – it must continue releasing people without taking new hostages.
The situation in Belarus is volatile. And the regime is more fragile than it seems. Belarusian people haven’t given up, they continue to resist tyranny and protest against the war. Repression hasn’t made people love the dictator or accept his regime.
We must be principled and stand by the people. We must fight for the release of all the unjustly detained. People must feel that they are not abandoned, and that the democratic world is on their side.
And every sign of solidarity, every support does matter. When you are in a cold KGB chamber, with a small window the size of a chessboard, only the solidarity you feel from outside keeps you alive. You know that someone out there is fighting for you.
Unfortunately, I found out that, apart from sanctions, we have very few international mechanisms to influence the regime. But I believe that the OSCE and members of this group of friends of Belarus can make a difference.
Today, I brought you several concrete proposals, what the OSCE and its member-states can do right now to stop repression, to restore justice and, eventually, to release political prisoners.
First, I ask OSCE member-states and civil society organizations to endorse the referral to the International Criminal Court on crimes of humanity committed by Lukashenka and his regime. Just yesterday, I came here from The Hague, where Lithuania submitted to the ICC the very first case on Belarus ever. Exactly one year ago, in this room, we discussed this mechanism, and finally we are there. Thank you, Lithuania!
The referral proposed to investigate the crimes of the regime including the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians. I ask all present countries to back Lithuania in this initiative, and send a referral to the ICC as well. Besides, I ask to consider opening cases under universal jurisdiction, some of which have already been initiated in Lithuania and Poland.
The very possibility of bringing the regime’s perpetrators to justice should help stop the repression, change the regime’s behavior, and make them release people. But most importantly – it would give the victims of the repression hope that justice will be restored.
Second, I ask OSCE member-states to join the International Humanitarian Fund for victims of repression in Belarus. The fund has just been launched with first support from Sweden and Norway, which contributed 1.5 mln euro. Of course, it’s only a small drop in the sea of needs. The purpose of the fund is purely humanitarian, like rehabilitation of former political prisoners, support of their families, and psychological aid. We ask to support this fund not instead of, but in addition to the existing programs such as the International Accountability platform for Belarus. Their work laid the ground for the Lithuanian referral to ICC.
Third, I ask to explore all available mechanisms within OSCE to release political prisoners, or at least to improve their treatment. Thank you for launching the Vienna Mechanism on political prisoners two months ago. It was supported by 38 member-states. Sure, we know the regime’s response: “They are not political prisoners, but criminals and terrorists.” But the implementation of this mechanism surprisingly coincided with the “pardoning” of more than 100 persons! So, let’s continue. Don’t stop asking uncomfortable questions to the regime. Don’t stop pressuring it.
I want to urge the ODIHR and the Secretariat to exercise their mandates in full. Request, in strongest terms possible, to visit political prisoners in Belarus, especially those held incommunicado, like Maria Kalesnikava, Ihar Losik, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, or our Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski. Demand their immediate release. Demand access to the new politically motivated trials.
Importantly, these requests should be made publicly. Confidential letters are not enough. If you are denied access, make these responses public. The regime in Minsk should be ashamed of not cooperating.
I do believe (I really do!) that OSCE can be a platform for the dialogue, not only about releasing political prisoners, but solving the political crisis in Belarus as a whole. And before inviting Lukashenka’s minister to the next OSCE ministerial, make it clear to him: they must cooperate and stop violating the very values and principles of this organization.
Fourth. The regime is planning to conduct so-called elections in 2025. These elections will be a farce: political leaders are jailed, media destroyed, thousands behind bars. Holding democratic elections under this regime is not possible – they are simply afraid of hearing the voice of the people.
Though the regime doesn’t intend to invite OSCE observers – it doesn’t mean that we should be silent. We must make an honest assessment of the situation, and make it clear that this farce doesn’t have anything in common with real elections.
We must not allow the regime to fool the world, “turn the page” and go back to business as usual. Believe me: the demand, the desire for democratic change is still there, within the Belarusian society. People are hungry for democracy, they talk about the future.
And they don’t see the future under dictatorship or Russia. They see the future of Belarus within the European family of free nations.
Dear friends,
I wish to thank all the people in this room personally: for caring about Belarus, for contributing to our fight for freedom: first, the freedom of those behind bars, and then, of the whole country. The day of justice will come inevitably. Let’s do everything we can to bring it closer.
Thank you. Long live Belarus!”
