Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya continues her visit to Italy. Today, in Milan, she opened the Sakharov Prize award ceremony – a prestigious honor that Belarus’ democratic forces received in 2020.
Since 1988, the European Parliament has awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to individuals and organizations making significant contributions to the fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Beyond recognizing these efforts, the award also raises international awareness of repression, injustice, and human rights violations around the world.
In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya dedicated the award to Belarusians who have suffered repression, highlighting the devastating consequences of propaganda worldwide:
“I remember standing alongside my Belarusian friends in the European Parliament, receiving the Sakharov Prize. That gesture of support came at an incredibly difficult moment – when the regime’s repression had become especially ruthless. This award gave us the strength to keep going, to keep fighting. I am certain it has the same impact on all laureates. It shows them – they are not alone”.
“The regime tries to silence the truth using violence and isolation. More than 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars. Among them is Ales Bialiatski – a laureate of both the Sakharov Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize – sentenced to 10 years in prison. Valiantsin Stefanovich, Marfa Rabkova, Uladzimir Labkovich, and Andrei Chapiuk have also received harsh sentences. The dictator wants to break their will and stop the truth from reaching the world. But the truth cannot be locked away behind prison walls”.
“To fight the truth, tyrants create their own version of reality. In their world, ‘War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength’. Straight out of Orwell! They use propaganda to sow doubt, fake news to spread chaos, and fear to make us passive. We must remember that freedom of speech is not just a right – it is a responsibility. Because if we lose the truth, we lose democracy”.
