“Mr. Chairman Michael Roth,
Dear members of the Foreign Affairs Committee,
Dear friends,
First, I would like to thank you for supporting our fight for democracy on behalf of all Belarusians. It is a crucial time not just for the people of Belarus and Ukraine, but for all of Europe.
And I am glad to see that the Belarusian topic continues to unite parliamentarians across all political divides.
Today in the Bundestag, you are going to discuss the resolution on Belarus, proposed by three political parties: SPD, the Green party and the FDP. I ask you to support this resolution. It will give Belarusians hope that they are expected in the European Union.
It is symbolic that you are going to hold this debate the day before November 9, when the Berlin Wall fell. It reminds us that changes, however unexpected, are inevitable. This scenario is very plausible in Belarus, too. And we have to be ready for it. We need to have powerful democratic institutions to seize the moment and wrest Belarus out of the claws of the Russian empire.
For this, we have first to clearly understand and underscore the basics: Belarus is not Russia. Belarus is Europe. Lukashenka is not the president, he doesn’t represent Belarusians. And the European perspective is the only alternative to the “Russian world” of violence, tyranny and injustice.
Yesterday, we discussed the European perspective for Belarus at the first gathering of the Alliance of parliamentary groups for Democratic Belarus, which took place here, in Bundestag. Heads of parliamentary groups from 22 countries have joined. And I am proud to say, that the German group is the biggest. I would like to express my special gratitude to members of parliament Knut Abraham, Johannes Schraps, Robin Wagener and Aniko Glogowski-Merten for their work and commitment to Belarus.
Many Bundestag members have also taken godparenthood for political prisoners. This is a strong sign of solidarity. We can’t forget that more than 1,500 are still held as hostages by the regime. The real number can be as much as three times higher.
The repressions are intensifying all the time. Every day, 15-20 people are detained for political reasons. Last year alone, the regime opened more than 5,000 new criminal cases.
Many political prisoners are in very critical health condition. In the last few months, several political prisoners have died. Or rightly to say, were killed, including Ales Pushkin, a famous Belarusian painter.
Many – including Maria Kalesnikova, Ales Bialiatski, Mikalai Statkevich – are kept in complete isolation. It also includes my husband, Siarhei. I did not hear from him since March, and I don’t even know if he is alive.
The goal of Lukashenka’s regime is to break them, and to break us. Keeping people in absolute isolation, they want them to think that the world has forgotten about them. We must prove it wrong.
Every letter, every statement, every tweet – every time you mention a political prisoner, it creates pressure on the regime. That’s why it is so important to have godparents and supporters of free Belarus in parliaments all over the world.
Dear friends,
Today, the situation in Belarus is probably the worst since 2020. Our country is gradually losing its independence. The creeping occupation of Belarus is taking place.
There were no missile launches from Belarus this year, but the dictator Lukashenka keeps sending weapons, vehicles and ammunition to Russia. Russia helps the regime to circumvent the sanctions and sponsors the regime economically.
Lukashenka and Putin announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. It is the first spread of nuclear weapons in Europe since the Non-proliferation treaty. We must do everything to stop this reckless step of escalation.
The regime is not only creating new threats against the people of Belarus, but also against our neighbors and all of Europe. We have seen how Lukashenka’s regime became a co-aggressor in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
There won’t be freedom in Belarus without victory for Ukraine, and Ukraine won’t be safe without free Belarus. The situation in our countries is interlinked.
The people of Ukraine have endured incredible suffering, but they continue to defend their freedom and their right to decide their own future. In Belarus, we are also fighting for our freedom and our right to exist as a nation.
The fight between democracy and tyranny unites us. Ukrainians and Belarusians have made a clear choice for freedom. There is no question; we must win.
In Belarus, the resistance to the war and to Lukashenka’s regime went fully underground. You can’t see big beautiful rallies now due to the level of terror. However, more than 200,000 Belarusians joined the Peramoha plan, created to coordinate underground resistance. In 2022 only, more than 80 acts of sabotage took place on railways.
Hundreds of Belarusians help the Ukrainian intelligence to monitor movements of Russian troops in Belarus.
Belarusians demonstrated their clear stance: we are against this war. We do support Ukraine. That is why it is important to divide Belarusian people and Lukashenka’s regime which became Putin’s accomplice. It is also important to separate Belarus and Russia: don’t put us in the same basket. Unlike Russians, Belarusians have made a clear decision for democracy and rule of law.
Our fight for democracy and freedom must be seen in a global context. It is important to understand that what happens in Belarus, Ukraine, and even Israel – it is interconnected. Tyrannies are taking revenge.
Not surprisingly, Lukashenka’s propaganda immediately supported Hamas’s attack on Israel. They want the world to be on fire. They hope that the world will forget about Belarus. Because then, their atrocities will remain unchecked and unpunished. We should not allow this to happen.
We need a more active stance on Belarus. It must include more efficient sanctions with no loopholes, but also bigger assistance to democratic forces and civil society.
Also, we need to bring the regime to justice for its crimes. We are asking governments to request from the International Criminal Court to start an investigation on Lukashenka’s crimes. If the ICC issues the arrest warrant on Lukashenka, it would be a great blow to the regime.
Yesterday, I met with the Minister of State for Europe Anna Lührmann. I asked to increase assistance to Belarusian democratic forces and civil society. Today, I met State Secretary Bernd Krösser of the Ministry of the Interior to discuss the situation of Belarusians in Germany.
Very soon, thousands may be left without passports and legal documents. Lukashenka’s regime will no longer renew passports abroad. Most of these people can’t return either. Because it’s a one-way ticket to prison. That’s why we need to find a comprehensive solution for Belarusians in exile.
We are planning to issue our own passports to Belarusians abroad, as Baltic states were doing during the Soviet occupation. We are asking Germany to recognize these documents.
Dear friends,
With your support, we can bring freedom to Belarus and Ukraine and peace and security – to Europe. We must show the world’s despots that evil and terror are doomed to fail.
I would like to ask you to join our International Day of Solidarity with Belarus on Sunday, November 12. You can adopt the resolution, make a statement or even personal tweets with words of support.
November 12 is the day when Raman Bandarenka was beaten to death by the regime’s thugs in his courtyard in 2020. His death was never investigated and no one was charged.
I ask for your solidarity on this day – any way you can raise attention for Belarus, it will help us.
I also ask you to support our European choice for Belarus as an alternative to the “Russian World”. Belarusians want to hear that they are welcomed in Europe.
Soon, we will be launching a strategic dialogue with the United States. I propose a similar step for Germany. It will allow us to communicate regularly and develop strategies that will bring democratic changes to Belarus and prepare for transition.
I ask Germany to continue its firm support for democratic transformation in Belarus. I firmly believe that a Belarus that is democratic, independent, and free from nuclear arms will not only emerge as a steadfast ally for Germany – but will also significantly contribute to our shared vision for Europe.
Together, let’s commit to turning this vision into a reality.
Thank you!”
