“President Kox,
Madame Prime Minister,
Madame Minister,
Dear Members of the Standing Committee,
Dear friends,
Today, I came to you with a very simple message from Belarusians: be the voice of those who can’t speak now.
Last week, I had a call with a Belarusian woman. Her daughter and her son are both in Lukashenka’s prison. They were detained in the first days of war.
They are not activists. They never took part in protests before. But when Russia started to shell Ukraine from Belarus territory, they couldn’t stay aside and went to the streets, with thousands of others.
Next day, police raided and crushed their house. They were taken to the KGB, probably tortured. They were forced to record a confessional video, which was posted by the KGB on YouTube.
This woman’s son was told that he committed state treason and can be executed. Now they are held in full isolation, and even their mom doesn’t know their whereabouts.
When this woman was telling the story about her children, she said to me: the only thing I have left is hope. And my only hope is that the world will not forget about us. So I can see my children again.
I know that hope alone is not enough for victory. But hope can be transformed into energy, and energy into actions. This desperate woman became an activist, she began to help other families of the repressed who found themselves in similar trouble.
And my task, our common task, is to make sure that all these people, like this woman, don’t lose hope.
Unfortunately, her story is not the only one. Since the beginning of our revolution in 2020, 60,000 have gone through detentions. Many have been tortured, beaten and even raped. Only in April, 11 people were detained daily. Belarus became a place of lawlessness and terror.
Last month, one of Lukashenka’s main rivals, political prisoner Viktar Babaryka, was delivered to hospital in a serious condition. He was so beaten that it was hard to recognize him. Despite appeals from human rights defenders, the regime has refused to give access to him. We don’t even know if he is still alive.
Since March 10, I haven’t heard anything from my husband Siarhei. He was sentenced to 19 years, and my kids did not see him for three years already. Probably he is in the punishment cell, I don’t want to think about the worse. Pressuring him, the regime is trying to break me.
Political prisoners are hostages. And we have to speak about them every single day, and we have to support their families. We have to give them hope, and energy. They must know that they are not abandoned.
Dear President Kox, I’m eternally grateful to you and the whole PACE for paying so much attention to the situation with political prisoners in Belarus. Believe me – every statement, every resolution, every word – matter.
Dear friends,
We battle not only against Lukashenka’s tyranny, but also Russia’s occupation of Belarus. Like the brave Ukrainians, we are fighting for our freedom.
Yesterday I was in Aachen at the Charlemagne Prize ceremony. I am very happy that the Prize this year was awarded to President Volodymir Zelenskyy (володЫмир Зэлэньскый) and the People of Ukraine. Last year, I had the honor to accept the same prize on behalf of all Belarusians who want to live in peace and freedom.
The fight between tyranny and democracy, between the past and the future, unites us. Ukrainians and Belarusians have made a clear choice for freedom. There is no question; we must win. If we lose, darkness will once again fall across Europe.
The opposition to the war and Lukashenka's regime in Belarus has gone underground. Big, public rallies are no longer held due to the level of repression. But over 200,000 Belarusians have joined the Peramoha plan. This plan was made to coordinate covert resistance. In 2022 alone, there were over 80 acts of railway sabotage.
One recent successful sabotage was the drone attack in February. It targeted a vital Russian surveillance plane. Many Belarusians also assist Ukrainian intelligence. They continue to monitor the movement of Russian troops within Belarus.
The stance of Belarusians is clear – we oppose the war. We stand with Ukraine. It's crucial to distinguish between the Belarusian people and Lukashenka's regime. The regime has become an accomplice to Putin.
After the war started, we saw that many countries started to impose visa ban on all Belarusians. It is wrong. Visa is not a luxury but a necessity. The woman whom I mentioned earlier, could call me only because she was able to leave Belarus on time, when the KGB was about to knock on her door.
Treating Belarus and Russia differently is equally important. Belarusians don't want to be lumped together with Russians. We have chosen democracy and the rule of law in 2020, and we paid a big price for that. We are against Russia’s bloody war, and we do support Ukraine. And the very fact I am present here, and speaking to you now, means that you understand it.
Dear friends,
We want Belarus back in the Council of Europe. Belarus should no longer be a black hole when you look at the map of the Council of Europe.
Because we are Europeans. We want a democratic Belarus to take its place in the European family of free nations.
For me, the interest in joining the Council of Europe is about securing a future where every Belarusian can live freely, speak openly, and participate actively in the political life of our nation.
It's not merely about international recognition. It's about transforming our society and establishing a true democracy, where the rule of law prevails, and human rights are respected.
I envision a Belarus where the principles upheld by the Council of Europe are not distant ideals but everyday realities.
We are ready to work with you already and to draw on your expertise as we prepare reforms for future democratic Belarus. It will help us to prepare for the democratic transition.
As I said last year, we need to bring more Belarus to the Council of Europe and more Council of Europe to Belarus. I am very happy that the Contact Group between the Council of Europe and Belarus was established. Through the contact group, we already held an important event on helping independent Belarusian journalists in exile. We are planning events on abolishing gender inequality and violence against women. For leading Belarusian lawyers, we are planning a study visit to the Council of Europe. Representatives of our youth will participate in the event dedicated to abolition of the death penalty.
I am glad that PACE does not invite Lukashenka’s cronies to its events. There is no place here for criminals. Instead, you invite representatives of Belarusian democratic forces to address the Assembly.
I want to use this opportunity to ask the leaders of national delegations to the Assembly to work with your governments to provide financial support to the Action Plan of the Contact Group. The list of 15 thematic areas is a good and diverse menu to choose from.
We want to be practical. Your support will allow us to make a difference already now. Your support will also help us build sustainable democracy in the future. Your support today will help us join the Council of Europe soonest.
In the end, I want to thank our great hosts – Iceland. Small country with a big heart. Dear Prime Minister, Minister, Speaker – by your example and your active work you show that even small countries can make a huge difference.
Having such friends, having such allies as you gives me hope and confidence to continue our fight.
I am grateful for the invitation to the Summit. You are giving us not just a platform, you are giving us a voice. You are giving a voice to all those who can’t speak but who share the same values and the same dream about free, democratic and peaceful Europe.
Thank you!”
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