Mutual assistance and support
– Belarusians honored Raman Bandarenka, who died after reportedly being beaten by security forces on November 12, 2020. “Heroes live as long as they are remembered. We will always remember Raman Bandarenka”, – stated Ms. Tsikhanouskaya.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a call with EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi regarding the free delivery of the WHO-approved vaccines to Belarus. They discussed the points of agreement with international organizations and foreign countries. Work on the delivery of vaccines continues.
– The Spotlight of the Regions initiative released a new video covering the negative impact of the subsidies for unprofitable state enterprises. The taxes Belarusians pay are buried in the ground, and thousands of workers may lose their jobs in the future because of that.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office held a call with Aleh Talerchyk, who represents ByPol, a union of Belarusian security officers. He told how the KIPOD face recognition system works and explained why the distribution of leaflets seriously affects the work of Lukashenka's security forces.
– Aleś Alaсhnovič, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's Representative on Economic Reforms, had a call with the Office activists and volunteers. He told about the economic crisis and the possible developments in the economy and then answered the questions. Throughout the week, the volunteers distributed leaflets raising awareness of the crisis and its impact on taxes, prices, and pensions. To join the OST volunteers, Belarusians have to fill out a secure form.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged Belarusians to support the politically imprisoned students: “Write letters to those students behind bars, express words of encouragement to their loved ones. Our support will help them stay confident about the future”.
– The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention studied the case of Siarhei Tsikhanouski and demanded his release. The Group handed over this decision to the representatives of the regime, and they must answer it. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked her husband's lawyer Natalia Matskevich for her appeal to the UN.
International work
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made a working visit to Germany and met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Vice-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. (See the full list of Ms. Tsikhanouskaya's meetings). Bundestag parties, including SPD, CDU, the Greens, FDP, and Die Linke, voiced support for Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and all Belarusians. Germany is ready to help Belarusians with vaccines, strengthen sanctions against the regime, and continue to patronize political prisoners.
– Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, together with writers Alhierd Bakharevich, Sasha Filipenko, and director Aliaksei Paluyan, held a discussion in Berlin on the culture of new Belarus. Watch the recording of the discussion.
– On November 22, Austria will hold an International High-level Conference on Belarus. As a lot of speculation and misinformation arose around the conference, Valery Kavaleuski and Franak Viacorka answered the key questions: what is its purpose and who will represent Belarusians there.
– On November 25, the OST Research Center will hold a panel discussion in English on the following topic: “Belarusian media under threat: what to do and what support is needed?”. Register here.
Work on the migration issue, as part of the overall crisis in Belarus
– After the escalation of the conflict at the Belarus-Poland border, Polish President Andrzej Duda held an emergency call with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. They discussed how to pressure the regime to stop the migration crisis and talked about the possibility of delivering humanitarian aid to the people stuck at the border.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held calls and meetings with European politicians and diplomats to emphasize that the crisis at the border cannot be considered separately from the political crisis in Belarus — the regime is fully responsible for it.
– Ms. Tsikhanouskaya commented on Josep Borrell's phone call to Lukashenka's Foreign Minister Uladzimir Makei and Borrell's warning about the EU's intervention to resolve the migration crisis: “Since the regime has completely lost control of the situation, the EU is forced to take over aid to migrants at the border. Over the past year, the regime convinced us that it is much more willing to solve problems and respect the rights of foreigners rather than citizens of Belarus. We will continue to support the claims of the Belarusian society”.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews on the situation in Belarus to ARD, RND, Deutche Welle, AFP, Sächsische Zeitung, Tagesspiegel, Volksstimme (all based in Germany), Doorbraak (Belgium), RFE/RL's Service in Belarus, Associated Press, Bloomberg (the US), Plus7dni (Slovakia).
The Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urges Belarusians to wear masks, take any vaccines available, keep social distance, and, if possible, work from home. Stay safe and take care of the people who surround you!
