“I dream of the day when Belarus returns to this hall as a proud, democratic member of the European family”
During her visit to Strasbourg, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, speaking before ambassadors and diplomats from 46 countries. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya highlighted key regional security concerns and the growing threat of Russian control over Belarus. She stressed that the country has effectively become a military outpost for Russia, with […]
March 12, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Roberta Metsola
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya began her visit to Strasbourg by meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. They discussed the situation of political prisoners in Belarus and cooperation between the European Parliament and the democratic forces of Belarus. Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, who became Ms. Metsola’s symbolic goddaughter while in prison, was also present at the […]
March 12, 2025
“In times like these, International Women’s Day is not a celebration but a struggle”
The European Parliament held a special plenary session in Strasbourg today, dedicated to International Women’s Day. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a speech before approximately 700 MEPs. Among the invited speakers were Belarusian activist and former political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, as well as representatives from Ukraine – journalist Leniye Umerova and volunteer Tata Kepler. In her speech, […]
March 12, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a speech at a special plenary session of the European Parliament
Dear members of the European Parliament, Dear President Metsola, dear Roberta, Thank you for your powerful words, for our friendship, and for your incredible leadership. I always say that unconventional times require unconventional solutions. And last year, Roberta, we took such a step together: we signed a Memorandum of cooperation between Belarusian democratic forces, and […]
March 11, 2025
Visit to Italy, solidarity action for political prisoners, meeting with leaders of Belarusian NGOs. Weekly updates from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office: March 3–9
VISIT TO ITALY Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited four cities during a working visit to Italy. She held several high-level meetings, including with Florence Mayor Sara Funaro and Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore. They discussed a possible shelter for political refugees from Belarus, internships, scholarships for students, and exchange programs. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also visited the Polish War Cemetery, […]
March 10, 2025
Two years of Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s incommunicado detention
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Let me thank each and every one of you for being here today. Thank you for remembering our political prisoners. For not giving up and continuing to fight. Your solidarity is a force that helps us endure even the hardest trials”.
March 10, 2025
Solidarity action for incommunicado political prisoners took place in Vilnius
A solidarity action took place in Vilnius on March 9 to support political prisoners held incommunicado in Belarus. The event marked two years since Siarhei Tsikhanouski was placed in incommunicado detention. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Let me thank each and every one of you for being here today. Thank you for remembering our political prisoners. For not […]
March 09, 2025
“The Kalinouski Regiment is something truly unprecedented in modern Belarusian history”
March 9 marks three years since the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, a Belarusian unit fighting against Russian aggression in Ukraine, was formed. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The Kalinouski Regiment is something truly unprecedented in modern Belarusian history. Yes, we have many outstanding figures from past centuries. But Belarusian volunteers have shown that our country has modern-era heroes too. […]
March 09, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s address on the second anniversary of Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s incommunicado detention
“It has been two years since I last heard any news about Siarhei. For two years, I’ve been feeling constant anxiety and fear. Every day, I am tormented by questions that no one can answer. ‘How is he feeling today?’ ‘Is he allowed to go outside?’ ‘What is his health like?’ I often think back […]
March 09, 2025
30 MPs from across Europe signed the Rome Declaration in support of democratic Belarus
On March 6-7, the Alliance of Parliamentary Groups “For a Democratic Belarus” held a conference in Rome. It brought together MPs from 27 countries. The conference, held in the Italian Parliament, focused on securing the release of political prisoners, supporting independent media and civil society, strengthening Belarusian national identity and culture, and addressing the challenges […]
March 09, 2025
UN expressed concern over new restrictions on working with children in Belarus
A group of UN Special Rapporteurs has addressed the regime in Belarus regarding the draft law “On Amendments to Laws on Ensuring Children’s Rights”, which passed its first reading. Under this bill, individuals convicted of “extremist crimes” would be barred from engaging in teaching or holding positions involving regular work with children. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor […]
March 07, 2025
“Consider supporting democratic Belarus as an investment in peace and security”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya continues her working visit to Italy and is now in Rome, where the conference of the Alliance of Parliamentary Groups “For a Democratic Belarus” began in the local parliament. The first such meeting took place in Berlin in 2023. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya addressed the MPs, presenting a series of proposals to European parliamentarians that […]
March 06, 2025
“A free Belarus will never be a threat to Europe”
During her working visit to Italy, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered a lecture at Bocconi University in Milan, one of the world’s top universities. The event gathered around 150-200 attendees, including students, academics, journalists, and Belarusians in exile. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya addressed key issues related to regional security, Belarus’ role in modern Europe, and the urgent need for […]
March 06, 2025
Join the action in Vilnius to support political prisoners held incommunicado!
On March 9, 2025, the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will hold an event in Vilnius to mark the second anniversary of Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s complete isolation. A similar event was held a year ago. Incommunicado detention is a form of torture that deprives political prisoners of basic rights to communicate with their families, lawyers, and the […]
March 06, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya honored the memory of Belarusians who fought for Italy’s freedom
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Italy ahead of an important historical milestone – the 80th anniversary of the country’s liberation from fascism. Belarusians also took part in this struggle. 81 years ago, 264 Belarusian soldiers lost their lives in the Battle of Monte Cassino. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya visited the Polish War Cemetery, where soldiers of Anders’ Army are […]
March 06, 2025
“If we lose the truth, we lose democracy”
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 […]
March 05, 2025
Summary of the first day of Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Italy: Bologna
During her visit to Italy, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Bologna, where she met with Mayor Matteo Lepore, engaged with the local Belarusian diaspora, and participated in the presentation of the book “Belarus: Alive Between Dictatorship and Resistance”, published in Italian. She also visited the Polish War Cemetery, where soldiers of Anders’ Army are buried, and laid […]
March 05, 2025
Summary of the first day of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Italy: Florence
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Florence during her official trip to Italy. The leader met with Mayor Sara Funaro, who awarded her the Seal of Peace. This award, established in the 15th century in Florence, recognizes individuals who contribute to peace and human rights. Previous recipients include the Dalai Lama and Daisaku Ikeda. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the […]
March 04, 2025
“I am truly relieved to hear that Kseniya Lutskinа is finally safe”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am truly relieved to hear that Kseniya Lutskinа is finally safe. But it is heartbreaking that she had to leave her home to achieve that. Years of imprisonment have taken a serious toll on her health – without medical care, her chronic illness worsened, she developed pneumonia, and the tumor kept growing. […]
March 04, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to visit Italy
From March 3 to 6, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will visit four Italian cities as part of her working trip, during which she will hold a series of high-level meetings. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya will deliver a speech at the second meeting of the “For a Democratic Belarus” Alliance of Parliamentary Groups. This event will bring together representatives from […]
March 04, 2025
Monthly recap: February 2025. Key events, new research, and notable achievements of Belarusian activists and NGOs
Human Constanta and The Others (IshyYa) announced “Equality March”, a month dedicated to non-discrimination, equality, and inclusion. Belarusian diasporas worldwide marked International Mother Language Day with events and rallies. The team of Pamyłka, a popular science zine in Belarusian, announced the winners of the first-ever “Bison Higgs” public award for the popularization of Belarusian scientists […]
March 04, 2025
Meeting with a former political prisoner, address on the anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine, meeting at the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, and International Day of Solidarity with Belarus. Weekly updates from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office: February 24 – March 2
MEETING WITH ALENA MAUSHUK On February 27, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Alena Maushuk at her office in Vilnius. Alena, a mother of five, was arrested in 2020 along with her husband during a protest rally and later sentenced to six years in prison, losing her parental rights. She spent four and a half years behind […]
March 04, 2025
“The more actively women engage, the stronger our community becomes”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with women leading Belarusian NGOs ahead of the upcoming International Women’s Day. The meeting focused on key issues and challenges faced by civil society and the role of women in Belarus’ society and politics. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and the participants of the meeting discussed: Support for Belarusians in exile, including coordination between NGOs […]
March 03, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich
Svetlana Alexievich is the first Belarusian writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 2015, the Swedish Academy honored her “for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time”. Over the years, Ms. Alexievich has gifted the literary world six works from her cycle “The Chronicle of the Big Utopia”, […]
March 01, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with former political prisoner Alena Maushuk
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with former political prisoner Alena Maushuk in Vilnius. Alena, a mother of five, was arrested in 2020 along with her husband during a protest rally and later sentenced to six years in prison, losing her parental rights. She spent four and a half years behind bars, where she was deprived of visits […]
February 27, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s World NGO Day address
“Civil society has always been the heart of Belarus. It is made up of volunteers who help those in need by supporting pensioners and people with disabilities, providing educational opportunities for children and youth, defending human rights, and fostering culture and education. These are dedicated, inspired individuals who make our society open, strong, and united. […]
February 27, 2025
The Lukashenka regime at the UN Human Rights Council session: An attempt to legitimize repression amid crimes against humanity
Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced its participation in the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council. In Geneva, Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov intends to discuss, among other topics, “current approaches” to the Council’s activities, as well as Belarus’ stance on regional and global security issues. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office reiterates the following: Belarus systematically […]
February 27, 2025
Meeting with ambassadors in Vilnius, visit to Sweden, International Mother Language Day. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for February 17-23
MEETING WITH AMBASSADORS Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with ambassadors and heads of missions from 25 countries in Vilnius to discuss ways to secure the release of political prisoners, the military and political situation in the region, and support for independent media. She emphasized that sanctions must remain in force to keep pressure on the regime until […]
February 24, 2025
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s address on the third anniversary of the full-scale war in Ukraine
“Talking about war is not easy. Sometimes it seems like nothing new can be said. From childhood, we are taught that war is a tragedy and that nothing can justify brutal bloodshed, ruined cities, and endless deaths. In schools and universities, we hear about the value of human life. So how has this full-scale war […]
February 24, 2025