The Director of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office in Lithuania, Dzianis Kuchynski, and the Office’s Legal Team met with the Director of Freedom House Vilnius, Vytis Jurkonis. Freedom House is a human rights organization that supports Belarusian activists and human rights defenders, assists victims of repression, and monitors the human rights situation in Belarus.
Mr. Kuchynski thanked the organization for its sustained support for Belarusians working for their country’s democratic future and for those repressed by the Lukashenka regime at home.
The parties discussed assistance for exiled Belarusians in Lithuania and plans for joint events in the United States and Lithuania. They also addressed preparations for the possible arrival of released political prisoners following the visit of the Special Envoy of the United States, John Coale, to Minsk, as well as their legal status in Lithuania.
Dzianis Kuchynski: “We very much hope to receive good news. Following John Coale’s visit to Minsk, released political prisoners may arrive in Lithuania. If that happens, they will need assistance from day one. That is why we are already coordinating our work with Freedom House and other organizations: who will meet them, where they can turn for help, and what support they will receive in their first days. Thank you for being ready to respond quickly and provide assistance”.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, Freedom House, A Country to Live In Foundation, Volnyja, Dissidentby, the Lithuanian Red Cross Society, the Belarusian Human Rights House, the Volunteer Service of the Viasna Human Rights Center, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, PEN Belarus, and the BYSOL Foundation are ready to assist political prisoners if they are released as a result of US diplomatic efforts and transferred to Lithuania.
