This week, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Prague and Berlin, made calls with EU leaders. The aim is to put Belarus on the agenda, achieve new sanctions against the regime, and organize assistance for Belarusians. Work has begun on the organization of an international conference to resolve the crisis in Belarus.
Pressure on the Regime
– During the visit to Berlin, the leader of democratic Belarus met with the candidates for German Chancellor Annalena Baerbock and Armin Laschet. Minister-President Laschet reiterated the need to increase pressure on the regime and expressed support for broader sanctions. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya handed over to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Angela Merkel's Chancellery a list of proposals for reaction to the hijacking of Ryanair plane.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the Czech Republic and met with the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, diaspora, and addressed the Senate. The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs will support 4 and 5 packages of sanctions against Lukashenka’s accomplices. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called for an international investigation of the regime’s crimes that would lead to an international tribunal.
– The European Parliament voted by an absolute majority in favor of the resolution on Belarus, which was developed with the support of the Office. The resolution calls for decisive action, from sectoral sanctions to enhanced support for the people of Belarus. Details can be found here.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and outlined the position of the Belarusian democratic forces before the G7 summit and the meeting of Biden and Putin.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office held conversations with the office of Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz and representatives of the Austrian MFA on the organization of a high-level conference on resolving the crisis in Belarus. The European Parliament, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries have already supported the conference.
– At the personal invitation of Mr. Kurz, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the Europa-Forum Wachau: “The regime has turned our beautiful country into a huge prison camp”.
– The leader of democratic Belarus held consultations on expanding the Comprehensive Plan of EU assistance to Belarus and holding an investment forum with Angela Merkel's Chancellery and EU representation.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya consulted with German lawyers who filed a lawsuit against Lukashenka and called on the Federal Prosecutor of Germany to prioritize this case. She also held a meeting with lawyers on Air Law about a possible lawsuit against the regime by Raman Pratasevich's parents and Poland and Ireland, who owned Ryanair.
– The G7 countries stated that the regime needs to accept that the crisis in Belarus will be resolved with the help of a new presidential election in the country.
Support and Solidarity
– During the visit to the Czech Republic, together with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a decision was made to expand the rehabilitation program for the repressed and wounded (MEDEVAC), scholarships, and internships for Belarusian students and specialists.
– Leader of democratic Belarus discussed with the German MFA, Angela Merkel's Chancellery and the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet the expansion of assistance programs for the repressed Belarusians (now Germany provides scholarships for doctors, athletes, workers, families of the repressed) and offered to support a month-long rehabilitation for the families of political prisoners.
– Mr. Tsikhanouskaya's Representative on Economics, Ales Aliakhnovich, with Sergei Guriev, held a public discussion about which programs of support to Belarusians and the country's economy will become available after the victory of democracy.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, together with the sister of Maria Kalesnikava Tatiana Khomich, attended the premiere of the documentary “Courage” by Belarusian director Aliaksei Paluyan about the Belarusian protests at the Berlinale Film Festival.
Support of the Protest Movement
– Thousands of people have signed up for the Peramoga plan chatbot. The purpose of the plan is to safely organize a resistance movement. The answers to the most frequently asked questions about the plan can be found here.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in interviews with Belarusian and foreign media, spoke about the situation in Belarus: Радыё Свабода, CNN, Current time, Forum (Czech Republic), DVTV (Czech Republic), Seznam zpravy (Czech Republic), CT24 (TV, Czech Republic), Hospodarske noviny (Czech Republic), Suddeutsche Zeitung (Germany), Frankfurter Allgemeine (Germany), Tagesspiegel (Germany), DW (Germany), ARTE (Germany, France).
