On December 15, the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, received Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, who was released from prison on December 13 and deported to Lithuania.
During the meeting, President Nausėda emphasized Ales Bialiatski’s courage and steadfastness, noting that his resilience, moral strength, and commitment to defending human dignity serve as an example and a source of inspiration for many people. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed her deep gratitude to Lithuania and the Lithuanian people for supporting released political prisoners and all Belarusians, as well as for Lithuania’s firm and principled stance toward the Lukashenka regime. She stressed that this consistent support is crucial for the protection of human rights and for Belarusians’ struggle for freedom.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also thanked US President Donald Trump and Special Envoy to Belarus John Coale for humanitarian efforts that helped secure the release of Ales Bialiatski and save lives.
