Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with members of the UK House of Commons and the House of Lords. They joined the group of Friends of Belarus in the Parliament and took symbolic patronage over Belarusian political prisoners. The group of Friends of Belarus in the UK Parliament is chaired by Sir Tony Lloyd, who has been advocating the issue of Belarus in the UK and in the international arena for many years.
The Belarusian leader invited the MPs to take part in the major meeting of the groups of Friends of Belarus scheduled for November 7 in Berlin. In addition, she urged the MPs to make Belarus one of the priorities of the UK foreign policy: “I ask you to become our advocates here in the UK. Advocate for a free and independent Belarus. Raise this issue in the media. And also support us in international assemblies such as PACE, OSCE PA, and NATO PA. Belarus must remain on the agenda.
I also ask you to support Belarusians living here in the UK. Very soon thousands of people may be left without passports and documents. Most of them cannot return to Belarus. After all, this is a one-way ticket to prison. Please raise this issue with your government to find a comprehensive solution for Belarusians in exile”, said Ms. Tsikhanouskaya.
Also during the meeting, the parties discussed steps for the release of political prisoners, scholarships for Belarusian students, support for the repressed, and assistance to independent media.
