On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial. It is a former Nazi death camp, where a million people perished, including Jews deported from Belarus. The camp also held Belarusians who participated in the resistance movement or were deemed undesirable by the Nazis.
This day marks the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation. The commemoration was attended by heads of state and international organizations, including the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the historical significance of the day and the importance of preserving the memory of genocide victims:
“The Holocaust tragedy is a reminder to the world of the devastating consequences of aggressive and hateful ideologies. It is horrifying that this dark chapter is now being exploited by authoritarian regimes to fuel hostility and ignite new wars. We must keep the memory of such tragedies and do everything possible to prevent them from happening again. Only solidarity and humanity can stand against the horrors of war”.
