Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “28 Belarusian journalists are behind bars. Sometimes statistics tell more about a country’s authorities than long speeches. According to new data, Belarus ranks 4th in the world in the number of imprisoned journalists. Ahead of it are only China, Russia, and Myanmar. Notably, these are countries with which the Lukashenka regime so eagerly ‘befriends’. I always say that dictators learn from each other. The persecution of journalists is a common trait of authoritarian regimes. It is a fear of truthful information, facts, and people who ask questions.
But even under these conditions, Belarusian journalists continue to do their work. Under the threat of arrest, torture, or exile, they remain the voice of those the regime tries to silence. Thanks to your work, the regime has not been able to hide the truth from Belarusians or the world. Thanks to your work, it breaks through prisons, censorship, lies, and the regime’s repeated restrictions. And each of you, through your work, brings closer the day when Belarusian journalism will break free of its chains”.
