Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya arrived in Oslo yesterday at the invitation of the Nobel Committee. She began her visit my meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Anniken Huitfeldt, and the President of the Norwegian Parliament, Masud Gharahkhani. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked Norway for its support: Norway has provided assistance to the European Humanitarian University, independent Belarusian media, and the International Accountability Platform for Belarus, which collects evidence of Lukashenka's crimes. Norway has also renamed the country from “White Russia” to Belarus at Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's request.
Photo: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Anniken Huitfeldt
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stressed the importance of supporting political prisoners and the repressed in Belarus, since the pressure from prison administrations amid crackdown in the country make them feel abandoned. When released from prisons, people do not have the necessary support and an opportunity to flee the country. As the regime deprives them off everything, it is important that they receive financial and psychological assistance.
Photo: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and President of the Norwegian Parliament Masud Gharahkhani
At the meetings, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the Norwegian politicians discussed:
– creating groups of Friends of Belarus in the Norwegian Parliament and the Nordic Council, an organization of Scandinavian countries;
– starting criminal cases against the regime under universal jurisdiction;
– providing internships and scholarships, which have been hard to obtain for young Belarusians since the war started;
– holding hearings on Belarus;
– organizing an international event on to Belarus and Belarusian independence, which is now under threat;
– preventing the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus;
– the condition of Maryia Kalesnikava, Ales Bialiatski and other political prisoners, trials over railway partisans, as well as people who shared information with the Hajun project.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also called for supporting the Belarusian PEN, cultural initiatives, and human rights organizations.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya met with Belarusian human rights defenders who arrived in Norway to attend the Nobel Prize award ceremony support and support Ales Bialiatski. She also met with Norwegian political elites, representatives of the expert community, and university rectors.
Today, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will take part in the solemn ceremony of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Ales Bialiatski and human rights defenders from Ukraine and Russia. She will attend the Nobel Banquet and have a short meeting with the King of Norway. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya will also make a speech at the solemn torch procession, which will begin after the Nobel ceremony.
