On March 16, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the National Council of Switzerland in Geneva and met with the President of the Council Irène Kälin. The Belarusian leader emphasized the need for Switzerland and the international community to act urgently to stop the war and prevent Lukashenka from dragging Belarus into hostilities. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that the dictator commits not only crimes against humanity but also war crimes, and they must be investigated within a special tribunal.
National Council President Irène Kälin expressed full support for the democratic movement in Belarus. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya stressed that for the de-escalation of the regional crisis, Russian troops must be withdrawn from Belarus and called on Switzerland to raise this issue in international organizations. Kälin claimed that the Swiss policymakers distinguish between the Lukashenka regime and the Belarusian people.
One of the deputies mentioned that Russia was expelled from PACE and noted the democratic countries’ unity and understanding that decisive actions are needed against the Belarusian dictator. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya urged Swiss partners to work with “precision” so that the efforts to isolate the regime do not affect ordinary Belarusians. Those Belarusians who are not guilty must not be banned from visas, scholarships, the labor market, and other opportunities.
They also discussed the possibility of holding negotiations on resolving the Belarusian crisis. Switzerland could be a negotiating platform, though everyone agreed that Lukashenka is unlikely to be a party in such negotiations.
