“Dear Senator Terzi,
Dear Guilio,
Cari amici, care amiche,
I feel like I am among friends today. Friends who care about freedom and democracy the same as I do. I am particularly glad to see here Senators Pier Ferdinando Casini, Giulio Terzi, Filipo Sensi. Your support and solidarity inspire Belarusians to continue fighting for our country.
I’m happy that I can be here, in the eternal city of Rome, one of the cradles of democracy and European civilization. Historically, Belarusians belong to this civilization. Despite attempts of occupiers and dictators, we never lost our Europeanness. It is in our DNA.
Our first book printer Francysk Skaryna obtained his academic degree in Padua in XVI (16th) Century. The queen Bona Sforza from Milan organized our land reforms in 1547. Our magnate Mikalai Kryshtaf Radziwill was traveling around Italy and brought Italian baroque architecture to Belarus.
Unfortunately, our historical memory is under attack now. The Lukashenka regime, with Putin’s support, is trying to destroy our identity and rewrite history. “You belong to Russia not Europe”, they say. Displaying the national flag or even speaking Belarusian language can be punished.
‘Soft annexation of Belarus by Russia’ – this is how the Parliamentary assembly of OSCE described what’s happening in Belarus now.
Russia doesn’t see either Belarus or Ukraine as independent countries, and their only goal is to colonize us.
Russia is afraid that Belarus and Ukraine will become European democratic countries. And it conducts the war against us, our identity and values, though with different means.
Dear friends,
Belarus today is facing a dual crisis. On one hand, we face the threat of losing independence. But on the other hand, we are facing the political and humanitarian crisis which started with fraudulent elections in 2020, and the brutal crackdown that followed.
These crises are interconnected. In 2020, I won presidential elections but I did not take my office. But Lukashenka refused to step down. He proclaimed himself a winner. Massive rallies led by our fearless women flooded Belarusian cities.
With the help of Putin, the dictator unleashed terror against Belarusians. Without Putin, Lukashenka wouldn’t survive a single day. And now he is paying his debt. He sells Belarus independence to Russia, piece by piece. He’s destroying Belarusian civil society and culture, and brutally suppressing any resistance.
More than 60,000 people passed through prisons. On average, 19 people are arrested every day. In June alone, the total number of the arrested was 560. What for? Criticizing the regime. Supporting Ukraine. Wearing the flag. Donating money to Belarusian volunteers. Sometimes just for speaking Belarusian language.
There are several thousand political prisoners. One of them is my husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski. Two days ago, I received an anonymous text message saying that he died in Zhodzina prison. There is no way to verify that. It was March 9, when I heard from him last time. And my kids haven’t seen their daddy for more than 3 years already.
Literally, one hour ago the propaganda media published the video of my husband in a prison cell. I could barely recognize him.
Regime uses political prisoners as hostages. Many are kept in the “incommunicado” mode, the same as Siarhei. For months, we can’t get any information about them. Among them are the brightest people,
like my friend Maryia Kalesnikava, our Nobel prize winner Ales Bialiatski, or activist Volha Mayorava.
The terror came to every home and to every sphere of life. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians fled repressions to neighboring countries. All democratic parties were banned. All leaders of independent trade unions were thrown in prisons. Thousands of independent media, businesses and NGOs were liquidated.
We know now that it was a preparation for the war. In 2022, we woke up from news that Russian troops invaded Ukraine from Belarus territory. Lukashenka drew Belarus into Putin’s criminal war. We tried to stop it: our “railway partisans” conducted more than 80 successful acts of sabotage to stop the advance of the Russian military.
Putin and Lukashenka did not manage to involve Belarusian troops in the war due to anti-war moods in Belarus society. 86% of Belarusians are against Belarus participation in the war. Belarusians don’t want to die for the ambitions of two usurpers.
Despite that, the regime continued to provide Russia with facilities, training and ammunition. Recently, dictators announced the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. This goes against the Belarusian constitution and non-proliferation agreements, and of course, it goes against the will of Belarusian people.
We were watching Prigozhin’s mutiny expecting that these internal fights will weaken Russia and hence weaken Lukashenka. However, it ended up not like we expected. Mercenaries from the Wagner terrorist group – that is, murderers and rapists – will be sent to Belarus. This creates an existential threat to our people, and even more chains us to Russia.
We demand the withdrawal of Russian troops, mercenaries, and nuclear weapons from our territory. Unfortunately, we can’t do it alone. We need the international community to help us. It’s not about domestic affairs anymore, it’s about international security and survival of Belarus as a country.
Also, we have to bring all perpetrators to justice. All involved in repressions and in the war. We just got evidence that Lukashenka’s regime was involved in deportation of Ukrainian orphans from occupied parts of Ukraine to Belarus. Just a few months ago, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant to arrest Putin. The same should be done for Lukashenka and his cronies.
As Italian Senators, you can call on your government and international organizations to launch a tribunal against Lukashenka. It’s time to recognize Lukashenka’s regime as terrorist. It’s time to impose devastating sanctions on Lukashenka’s regime and Putin. Not only for invading Ukraine, but also for undermining Belarus sovereignty. It’s time to support freedom fighters in Belarus.
I ask you to support our efforts in Parliamentary assemblies of the Council of Europe, OSCE and NATO. Recently, the PACE passed a resolution in support of Belarusians in exile. I’d like to thank our Italian friends for their votes and solidarity. Grazie!
We need the world to speak in one voice for free, independent and European Belarus.
Dear friends,
While dictators are trying to split and weaken us, we have to unite and strengthen our bonds. I want to heartily greet Senator Filippo Sensi, for creating the parliamentary group “For democratic Belarus” in the Italian parliament. This group will help to develop stronger ties between our countries.
I really hope that the Italian group “For democratic Belarus” will unite representatives of both chambers and various political parties, governing and opposition alike. We want the Belarusian cause to unite people of different political views.
We expect that the group will help the Italian government support the Belarusian democratic movement, passing resolutions in order to promote the government's decisions on Belarus.
I also welcome you all to visit Vilnius and Warsaw to meet representatives of the Belarusian exile community in person. Activists, former political prisoners, war veterans, family members of those who lost their lives fighting imperialist Russia in Ukraine.
There’s no telling how thankful I am for all that Italy is already doing for Belarusians. The rehabilitation program for political prisoner’s children has already started. I’d like to ask you, dear senators, to promote this program in your respective regions, in cooperation with local authorities and with the Belarusian diaspora.
Please don’t forget about our political prisoners. I ask you to join 363 parliamentarians from all over Europe who adopted Belarusian political prisoners. One of them is your colleague Brando Benifei from the European Parliament. He adopted political prisoner Siarhei Hlebka, sentenced to 11 years for an attempt to stop Russian troops from moving to Ukraine. It will take a few minutes of your time weekly, but it will be an important sign of solidarity from your side.
Italy is one of champions in issuing visas to Belarusians who have to leave the country because of the persecution. I would like to thank the Italian government and personally my friend Antonio Tajani for that. The mobility of Belarusians is very important. These people are our country’s future.
I’d like to conclude with what I started: strengthening our European identity through supporting Belarusian language, culture, and building ties between people. If you see the opportunity to invite Belarusian writers, artists, or scholars to events or fellowships – it would be your contribution to the future european Belarus.
On August 9, we will mark three years since the beginning of our peaceful uprising. And I call on you to commemorate this day by manifesting your solidarity with Belarusians.
The path to democracy is not an easy one, but it’s the right one. Let’s walk this path together.
Grazie mille!
Жыве Беларусь!”
