On October 14-15, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was on an official visit to Germany. She had political meetings in Berlin and joined events discussing the prospects for a democratic Belarus and its European integration.
During her visit, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Minister of Economy and Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Robert Habeck, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, Minister of Education, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Minister of Justice, Marco Buschmann, Vice-President of the Bundestag, Yvonne Magwas, the Bundestag group “For a Democratic Belarus”, and representatives of the association of Belarusians “Razam”. The meetings focused on comprehensive support for Belarus and its democratic forces.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the following issues:
📌 Support for political prisoners. The leader thanked Germany for supporting political prisoners in Belarus, providing humanitarian aid, and disbursing 1.5 million euros for the rehabilitation of repressed individuals;
📌 Visas and mobility for Belarusians. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for more multiple-entry and long-term Schengen visas for Belarusians;
📌 Youth support and educational programs. The Belarusian leader emphasized the need for expanded educational programs, especially within DAAD, for Belarusian students and researchers, as well as free visas for youth;
📌 Sanctions against the regime. Discussions focused on closing loopholes in the sanctions to ensure they target the Lukashenka regime rather than ordinary Belarusians;
📌 Lithuania’s referral of the Lukashenka regime’s crimes to the International Criminal Court. Germany expressed its support for Lithuania’s initiative to hold the regime accountable.
In addition to political meetings, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya delivered opening remarks at the Berlin Belarus Future Forum, which brought together leading German politicians, experts, and activists. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also received the prestigious Schwarzkopf Europe Award, recognizing her contribution to the fight for democracy and human rights in Belarus.
As a symbolic part of the visit, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya attended the opening of the exhibition “UNBREAKABLE” at the Stasi Museum, dedicated to Belarusian human rights defenders and activists imprisoned for their activities.
