After decades of impunity, falsifications, and repression, Belarus needs more than just a change of leadership – it needs a new, honest, and just system.
Lustration is not about revenge; it is a way to protect the country from repeating the past. Belarusians must know who was involved in human rights violations and electoral fraud to ensure that such crimes never happen again.
This is why Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office is initiating a public discussion on the Lustration Concept for Belarus – a document that outlines a possible model taking into account the specific Belarusian context, including the scale of repression, the lack of independent justice, the weakness of state institutions, and the risk of authoritarian revenge.
The proposed concept offers an inclusive model that does not involve blanket bans but requires a mandatory personal declaration. This means that:
- No one will be punished simply for having worked within the system;
- At the same time, hiding the truth about collaboration with the regime will have consequences;
- The approach is based on trust and responsibility: be honest with society, and you can remain in public service; hide your past, and you forfeit the right to make decisions on behalf of society.
This approach helps avoid a staffing collapse or a witch hunt while ensuring genuine accountability and renewal.
A society that has endured systematic state terror has the right to know the truth and establish new rules. We invite all interested parties to help shape these rules together:
- Read the Lustration Concept for Belarus in Belarusian or in Russian;
- Share your feedback and suggestions via the feedback form in Belarusian or in Russian or by email at transitionaljustice@tsikhanouskaya.org.
Only joint efforts can define what tomorrow will look like – and whether it will be protected from the mistakes of the past. Each voice is a contribution to a future where integrity becomes the norm, and the state serves as an ally, not an enforcer.
