VISIT TO GERMANY. On May 13-14, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Tatsiana Khomich (who represented her imprisoned sister Maria Kolesnikova), and Veranika Tsapkala attended this year’s Charlemagne Prize award ceremony as last year’s laureates. The Prize was awarded to Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the People of Ukraine. During the ceremony, Mr. Zelenskyy and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya shook hands publicly for the first time. Tsikhanouskaya also spoke at the Charlemagne Prize Forum, held annually before the ceremony.
SOLIDARITY WITH POLITICAL PRISONERS. On May 8, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya joined the campaign of solidarity with political prisoners and put up posters with the names of Halina Dzerbysh, Katsiaryna Andreeva, and Marfa Rabkova in Vilnius. The campaign was initiated by Volha Harbunova, the United Transitional Cabinet Representative for Social Issues. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also called on Belarusans and the international community to support the fundraisers for political prisoners organized by Belarusian activists.
Valery Kavaleuski, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, addressed Belarusians on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus on 21 May: “I call on each of you to care for political prisoners not only on May 21 but every day. We must be political prisoners’ voice both in Belarus and internationally”.
REACTION TO COURT VERDICTS. On May 11, Pavel Belavus was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented, “This is a sentence for all Belarusians who dream of a Belarus that values its identity”. Join this fundraiser to support Pavel Belavus' family.
VICTORY DAY. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians on May 9, Victory Day: “Our people still have a choice. Which kind of evolution would we prefer? Is it repression, war, crisis, international war crimes, rewriting history, losing the best professionals – or is it freedom, integration into the European economy, better standard of living, decent salaries and pensions, free international travel, and investments from the entire civilized world?”
BELARUS-EU. On May 11, representatives of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, the United Transitional Cabinet, the Coordination Council, civil society, and independent media took part in a high-level meeting with the European Commission in Brussels to work out an assistance plan for Belarus. The EU was represented by diplomats from all 27 member states, the European Commission, and the European External Action Service.
BELARUS-ISRAEL. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Israeli Ambassador to Lithuania, Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein. They discussed the situation with political prisoners in Belarus, the nuclear threat, Belarusian-Israeli cultural ties, and Israel's cooperation with democratic Belarus.
BELARUS-NORWAY. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Norwegian Parliament to discuss support for political prisoners, cultural projects, godparenthood for political prisoners, and a group of Friends of Belarus in the parliament.
INTERNATIONAL SPEECHES. On 12 May Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the 5th Our Future Forum in Warsaw. In her address, she called for supporting those who fight for freedom, both in Ukraine and Belarus, as well as helping political prisoners in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also participated in the 34th Heidelberg Symposium and gave a speech. Watch the video address at the link.
GLOBAL PARLIAMENTARY CONGRESS was held in Vilnius on May 12-13. Natallia Pinchuk and Sviatlana Tikhanouskaia's Advisor on Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatol Liabiedzka, represented Belarus. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausseda and Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen opened the congress. Opening remarks were delivered by UN Deputy Secretary-General Guy Ryder and Inter-Parliamentary Union President Duarte Pacheco.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BELARUSIANS. The Office’s team for education released a new issue of the Asveta digest, compiling international opportunities for Belarusian students and researchers.
CONVERSATIONS WITH BELARUSIANS. On Friday, May 12, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her Advisor on Legal Issues, Kristina Rikhter, held weekly personal conversations with Belarusians. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya regularly holds such conversations to collect feedback and information on the situation in Belarus and help people on the ground.
OFFICE VOLUNTEERS. Franak Viacorka, Chief Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, held a call with the volunteers of the Office and talked about the strategy of the democratic forces, future plans, and international meetings. You may support the Office's volunteer program by donating through BYSOL.
EXPERT DISCUSSION. On May 11, the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the Oxford Belarus Observatory held a discussion on Belarus-EU relations. The speakers included Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor Franak Viacorka, former EU Ambassador to Belarus Dirk Schubel, and experts Olga Dryndova and Ryhor Nizhnikau. You may read analytical briefs of the previous webinars.
MEDIA. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews to Nasha Niva (Belarus), RTE Radio1 (Ireland), Virgin Media News (Ireland), Mid West Radio (Ireland), Independent (Ireland), RTE (Ireland), Sisa Journal (South Korea), N.News (South Korea).
