«First of all, I would like to thank the organizers for the invitation. Thank you to Angela Dorne and Lucía Putrik for providing such a platform so that we can speak louder about Belarus. Thanks a lot to Alexey Polyana for his film and Anna Schoppa for supporting the tape. I’m sure “Courage” deserves a victory in Berlin.
All I’ve seen so far is the trailer of this movie – and I must confess, watching it is both proud and hard. I am proud to be Belarusian, to represent this very much older nation in just one year. But it’s very hard for me to look at protest footage of people being beaten, detained and even killed.
I’m sure this film will allow viewers from any other country to put themselves in the place of the Belarusians in August 2020. And the Belarusian film Alexey Polyana gives an opportunity to realize how much we have changed since then.
Unfortunately, these changes have taken a heavy toll on us. And artists such as the Free Theatre, who are shown in the film, are also subjected to repression in Belarus. According to the Cultural Solidarity Fund, more than 55 cultural workers are imprisoned on politically motivated cases, 36 of them political prisoners. Hundreds were fired, hundreds more served «24 hours». Right now the artist Ales Pushkin is facing up to 12 years in prison for the painting. Alexei Sanchuk, the drummer who set the rhythm of the Minsk protests in August, was sentenced to six years in prison. Roman Bondarenko, a young man who was remembered by his neighbors for drawing posters with babies in the courtyard of Change Square, was killed by the regime’s accomplices in the same courtyard. Overall, more than 35,000 people have been arrested since the beginning of August. Nearly 500 have been recognized as political prisoners. Thousands of people are now in prison – and as I say these words, any one of them can be tortured.
But that’s why we Belarusians aren’t going to give up. We continue to press for new democratic elections, and our peaceful protests have lasted more than 300 days. «Free Choir» still surprises and inspires Belarusians with unexpected performances on the streets of Minsk. The actors of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater of Belarus, who have resigned in protest against the repression, produce online productions. Opera star Margarita Levchuk and guitarist Andrei Pauk have collected hundreds of thousands of views on clips that mock state propaganda. Artists of the Free Theatre perform underground performances in Minsk, despite great risks. At pickets in completely different places of the planet people sing the song «Buzz of the Moor Tour», which became the personal hymn of my husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski and all our rallies before the elections in 2020.
May 29th was exactly the year he went to prison. Unfortunately, this year’s repression is only growing. And two weeks ago, the Belarusian crisis turned into a crisis for all of Europe. The regime intercepted the plane, endangered the lives of more than 100 passengers and, most importantly, kidnapped Belarusian journalist Raman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. The regime has dealt with TUT.by, the most popular independent media portal in the country. Fifteen journalists and editors have been detained and face long prison terms simply for doing their jobs professionally.
Two weeks ago, we buried activist Vitold Ashurok. He died in prison, and his family believes it was a violent death. Before he died, Vitold said that political prisoners in the colony were labeled yellow – they were tagged, just like in the camps.
Another political prisoner, activist Stepan Latipov, tried to cut his throat and wrists during the trial last week. He said that 51 days earlier he had been kept in a press house – a room where loud music was played – so that no one could hear people being tortured.
Every such story is the burden of responsibility that we Belarusians now bear. We have no moral right to abandon these people. So I thank you for being here to tell their stories. I therefore call on Germany to take a consistent position against an illegitimate and criminal regime. I call for the immediate adoption of the fourth package of sanctions and the development of the fifth against the regime’s supporters and the companies that support it. I call for a halt to all cooperation with State companies that repress workers. I call for the exclusion of Belarus from Interpol and for an international investigation of crimes against Belarus.
I also ask for the support of Belarusian civil society: repressed journalists and media, cultural figures and students. There are now 9 million hostages in Belarus – and they really need help.
I’m asking you to write letters to political prisoners. I ask the German Government to consider setting up educational programmes to support repressed artists and students. Imagine what a beautiful Maria Kolesnikova program would be in Germany, like the Kalinowski program in Poland.
I ask you all to support Belarusians during the Belarusian Culture Week 5-11 July: hang flags, show Belarusian films – such as Kurage – create Belarusian plays, distribute Belarusian books, open exhibitions of Belarusian artists. I’m sure anyone here can help the Belarusians.
We are now going through a very dark but very important period in our history. You know, Masha Kolesnikova writes in her letters that there is a terrible lack of music in her cell. But she loves music so much, she closes her eyes and she imagines it, she feels it inside. Likewise now we all feel inside our new Belarus full of love and light. And with your help, we can defeat lawlessness and finally set this country free.
Thank you!».
