Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made a working visit to Iceland. The main theme of all meetings is how Iceland can help independent media, workers, doctors and the whole of Belarusian civil society in an environment where the regime responds to sanctions by increasing repression of people. Outcomes:
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was received at the highest level. She met with President Gudni Johannesson, Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson and representatives of Parliament.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stated that it is very important for the Belarusians that sanctions against the regime be quick and effective, because repression is intensifying. She told the story of a female law student, Ekaterina Vinnikova, who received 15 days for giving the names of repressed teachers and lawyers, and other Belarusians who were suffering in prison. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya mentioned the huge flow of illegal migrants on the border with Lithuania as a reaction of the regime to the active support of the Lithuanian government of Belarusians.
– Together with the Prime Minister it was discussed increasing support for media, Telegram-channels, and YouTube projects. The premier herself worked as a journalist and understands the importance of independent media. At meetings Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told about self-organization of Belarusians: “Workers movement”, project of telemedicine okdoc.me, samizdat.
– The Minister for Foreign Affairs asked Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya the list of concrete actions that Iceland could take for Belarusians. He said he would raise the issue of Belarus in the OSCE and the North Baltic Eight.
– They also spoke with the President of Iceland about the erection of a monument to Torvald Kodransson, a missionary and traveler who was among the first baptists of Belarus and died in Polotsk.
– Members of Parliament asked how they could help Belarus — and Tsikhanouskaya invited them to help include the topic of the solution of the crisis in Belarus in the order of the day of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
– With the Rector of the University of Reykjavik, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed scholarships and training programmes for repressed students, primarily remote ones.
– Also during the meetings, topical trade links with Belarus, such as seafood exports, were discussed. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stressed the importance of transparency in business and respect for human rights. If businesses are run under corrupt schemes with a regime and workers' rights are violated, that’s why they’re on sanctions lists.
– Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya encouraged Icelanders to write to political prisoners, and the First Lady supported the idea. The Icelandic president, along with Belarusian leader, went to the diaspora and greeted the Belarusians.
