The European Parliament held a special plenary session in Strasbourg today, dedicated to International Women’s Day. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a speech before approximately 700 MEPs. Among the invited speakers were Belarusian activist and former political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, as well as representatives from Ukraine – journalist Leniye Umerova and volunteer Tata Kepler.
In her speech, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya highlighted women’s role in the fight for democracy and freedom, emphasizing the heroism of those resisting repression and war.
“Many Belarusian women today are not receiving flowers – they are receiving prison sentences. They are not marching in parades but walking into courtrooms. They cannot enjoy the luxury of peace and democracy – because they must fight for them. And we do fight.
We fight to avoid being swallowed by a revanchist Russian empire that seeks to imprison our nations and erase our language, our culture, and our identity.
We fight for our political prisoners – more than 1,200 people behind bars, including 155 women. Isolated. Tortured. Denied medical care. Yet they do not give up.
We fight for justice – to hold every perpetrator of repression, torture, and war crimes accountable. Because justice delayed is justice denied.
We fight for European values – for freedom, security, and prosperity.
We fight for Ukraine because our destinies are intertwined. Without a free Ukraine, there will be no free Belarus. And without a free Belarus, there will be no lasting peace in Europe.
We fight against illusions. Putin and Lukashenka do not want peace – they want submission. A lasting peace must be built on respect, but Putin has shown none”.
