– On February 1, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, along with Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, took part in the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, where a plan of 15 specific activities to support representatives of civil society and democratic forces was presented. The list can be found at the link.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Dunnigan in the Office premises in Vilnius. The American side announced that the US would appoint a special envoy for Belarus. The US representative assured Ms. Tsikhanouskaya of Washington’s continued support for the democratic forces and efforts for the release of all political prisoners.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with representatives of the Belarusian Council for Culture Siarhei Budkin and Ales Chakhouski, and the United Transitional Cabinet Representative for National Revival Alina Koushyk. The Council for Culture is launching a project to support cultural initiatives, ArtPower Belarus, which will provide assistance to more than 25 organizations and at least 50 artists. The parties discussed cooperation in the educational and outreach projects Babus and Vasminoh, as well as Days of Belarusian Culture in the summer of 2023.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayaya expressed her support for Eduard Babaryka, who spent his third birthday in a row in the detention center. She urged Belarusians to support political prisoners and their relatives.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on the new “trial” against Siarhei Tsikhanouski: “Siarhei will not stop being who he is. And he will not be afraid of you and your puppet “judges”, “prosecutors”, and other jailers”.
– On February 2, the day Kastus Kalinowski was born, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the people of Belarus: “I really wish we will succeed in our struggle before we pass it on to the next generation. I want our children to live in a free Belarus and know only from history books what occupation, repressions, torture in prisons, and political prisoners are. I want us to become the generation that defeated the dictatorship”.
– The Office’s Outreach team held a call for the Office’s volunteers with BEROC economist Dzmitry Kruk. They discussed the state of the Belarusian economy and its prospects. A follow-up resume of the call will be posted on the volunteers' Telegram channel.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office sent a letter to Microsoft with proposals to support independent media and activists. A meeting with Google management on the Belarusian localization of its products is expected in February.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office, in partnership with Oxford Belarus observatory, held a webinar with international experts on the issues that different generations of the Belarusian diaspora face. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor Kristina Rikhter participated.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was interviewed by Voice of America (International media), POLITICO (International media), and CNBC (International media).
