Legal Team’s comment on Serbia’s decision to extradite Andrei Hniot to Belarus
Today, the lawyers of movie director Andrei Gnet received the decision of the Higher Court in Belgrade on Andrei’s possible extradition to Belarus. If extradited for criminal prosecution, Andrei will inevitably face a severe prison term for his peaceful civil activism and exercising his rights. During the months Andrei has been in custody in Belgrade, […]
June 13, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya announced registration for New Belarus Conference
On August 3 — 4, the New Belarus Conference 2024 will be held in Vilnius. The event will aim to bring together Belarusian democratic forces, activists, civic and cultural initiatives, and the diaspora and provide a platform to discuss the strategic priorities of the democratic movement for 2025, address community challenges, and find solutions together. […]
June 13, 2024
“I’m not afraid. Let them be afraid!” Exhibition dedicated to Ales Bialiatski
On June 12, an exhibition opened in the German Bundestag, dedicated to the Founder and Chair of the Viasna Human Rights Center and the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ales Bialiatski. The exhibition documents the human rights defender’s complex and continuous struggle for a democratic Belarus. It was prepared by Malanka-Media in partnership with BYSOL […]
June 13, 2024
“I am grateful that despite fatigue and burnout, you continue to advance Belarusian cause”: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed diaspora in the US
During her visit to the USA, the national leader met with the Belarusian diaspora in Washington. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked them for promoting civic participation and Belarusian culture, organizing rallies and Belarus-related events, as well as participating in the Coordination Council election. The leader shared her team’s priorities for the near future. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya stressed the […]
June 13, 2024
“Let’s focus on what unites us”: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at Coordination Council’s first general meeting
The Coordination Council of the second and third convocations held its first general meeting today. The Belarusian leader opened it with a speech, in which she outlined the key expectations from the Coordination Council and named the priorities for its members: “Dear friends, Let me congratulate you on your election to the new Coordination Council. […]
June 12, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
The Belarusian leader continues her working visit to the USA. One of her key meetings in Washington was with the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, at the White House. During the discussion, the parties addressed the need for comprehensive support for Belarus and Ukraine. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya spoke about Belarusian volunteer fighters and aid workers […]
June 12, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with US Under Secretary for Political Affairs John Bass
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya continues her visit to the USA. The Belarusian leader met with the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, John Bass. She expressed gratitude for the support from the US State Department and diplomatic missions in Vilnius responsible for Belarus. During the meeting, the parties discussed: 📌 Financial support for Belarusian media and aid for […]
June 12, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Nancy Pelosi and US Senators
During the first day of her visit to Washington, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, as well as US Senators, Jeanne Shaheen, Dick Durbin, and Peter Welch. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya praised American leadership in opposing dictators. She called for supporting the Belarusian democratic community and increasing pressure on […]
June 12, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with G7 ambassadors and experts in Washington
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya began her visit to Washington by meeting with the ambassadors and diplomats of the G7 countries. Representatives of the expert community also attended the meeting. The Belarusian leader emphasized the importance of international support for Belarus and called for continued pressure on the Lukashenka regime to release political prisoners and hold free elections. […]
June 12, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “No one in Belarus can be sure they won’t end up in prison by end of day”
In an interview with the Polish TV channel TVP World, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed how modern Belarus is similar to Stalin-era Belarus and called for comprehensive international support and decisive action from the democratic world. Here are the key quotes from the interview: 📌 “Belarusians live in an atmosphere of tyranny and terror. It’s like in […]
June 10, 2024
Luxembourg Solutions for Belarus, updated Coordination Council. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for June 3-9
VISIT TO LUXEMBOURG On June 5-7, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Luxembourg, where she met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Speaker of the Parliament, spoke at the Luxembourg Solutions conference focusing on resolving the problems faced by Belarusians in exile, including visas, legalization of stay, and support for national identity. The […]
June 10, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, welcomed the Head of Belarus’ United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, ahead of the Luxembourg Solutions Conference, which focuses on addressing the issues faced by Belarusians in exile. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya was accompanied by the Cabinet’s Representative for Foreign Affairs, Valery Kavaleuski, and the […]
June 07, 2024
Luxembourg Solutions: Conference on issues faced by Belarusians in exile
On June 6-7, an international conference is taking place in Luxembourg on the problems faced by exiled Belarusians. The event, organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Luxembourg Parliament, is attended by the Head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of […]
June 06, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Freedom is best gift society can give its young people”
On June 6, 2024, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered closing remarks at the panel discussion “What future awaits youth in Belarus?” in Luxembourg: “Dear Anais, Dear Yael Ohana, Margo, Alina and Paul, Dear all, I am deeply honored to conclude this panel discussion, and I wish to thank each speaker for your insights. Especially, I want to […]
June 06, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s statement on Andrei Hniot’s transfer to house arrest in Serbia
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “After seven months of imprisonment, the Belarusian activist and movie director has been released from detention. Seven months ago, Andrei Hniot was detained at the request of Belarusian security forces. The activist was placed on an Interpol wanted list on trumped-up charges of tax evasion. For now, Andrei is under house arrest but […]
June 06, 2024
“Belarusian citizens are not guilty of regime’s crimes”: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at Luxembourg Solutions Conference
Today, the Belarusian leader delivered opening remarks at the Luxembourg Solutions Conference. She spoke on mobility for Belarusians living within the country and highlighted other issues: “Dear President Theodoros Rousopoulos! Dear Speaker Claude Wiseler, Dear Minister Xavier Bettel, Vice-President Fernand Etgen, Dear Paul, Dear friends of Belarus, Дарагія беларусы, It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to […]
June 06, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Secretary General of Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Department
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Secretary General of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Hackett, and the Irish Ambassador to Lithuania and Belarus, Séadhna MacHugh, in her Vilnius office. The Belarusian leader thanked Ireland for supporting Belarusian media and cultural initiatives as several projects have been implemented since 2020 with the help of the Irish […]
June 05, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received Czech Senate delegation in Vilnius
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, accompanied by her Advisor for Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatoli Liabedzka, and the Head of the Office of Belarus Democratic Forces in the Czech Republic, Kryścina Šyjanok, received a delegation of Czech senators led by the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Pavel Fischer, in her Vilnius office. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Czech Senate for […]
June 05, 2024
Tatiana Shchyttsova: “BSU has become repressive regime’s pioneer”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Education and Science, Tatiana Shchyttsova, comments on the Cyberpartisans’ report about the extensive ‘purges’ at Belarusian State University, which has fired or expelled hundreds of teachers and students. “Not so long ago, Belarusian State University was rightly called the ‘flagship of Belarusian science’. However, as the investigation revealed, after the 2020 […]
June 05, 2024
Belarus was represented at Confidence in Tomorrow Conference for first time
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, participated in the Confidence in Tomorrow Conference in Strasbourg. The event was held on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe and was attended by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner […]
June 05, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “It was important for me to hear everyone”
On May 28, the results of the Coordination Council election were announced. Eight electoral lists out of twelve announced were included in the third convocation. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held video calls with new delegates of the Coordination Council, as well as with members of the lists that did not make it to the body. The Belarusian […]
June 04, 2024
Results of Coordination Council election, anniversary of Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s arrest, visit to Portugal. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for May 27-June 2
RESULTS OF THE COORDINATION COUNCIL ELECTION The Coordinating Council election was held on May 25-27. 80 delegates have been elected from 8 political groups and initiatives, including politicians, activists, and representatives of civil society and the media. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked all those who took part in the election despite the pressure and repression from the […]
June 04, 2024
Tatiana Shchyttsova: “The regime is trying to raise everyone as moral monsters”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Education and Science, Tatiana Shchyttsova, in an interview with Novy Chas spoke on how to resist totalitarian methods in education in Belarus and why Lukashenka’s ideologists will fail to make young people their servants. Here are the highlights from the interview: 📌 “The Lukashenka regime has no ideology but does have […]
June 03, 2024
“Our children are resilient enough to withstand regime’s horrors”: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on International Children’s Day
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “You know, my daughter often asks me about what life was like in Belarus. She is curious about where I went to school, how I met her dad, and what we did for a living. She knows that we are living far from home. She understands that home is a place we cannot […]
June 01, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at LOGIN 2024 Conference
During the international LOGIN 2024 event in Vilnius, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated in a discussion on Belarus’ path to democracy, the challenges the country faces, its prospects, and opportunities. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya analyzed the state of human rights in Belarus and informed the participants about political prisoners held in the dire conditions of Belarusian prisons, including those […]
May 31, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Wherever life takes you, always remember your country”
Today, May 31, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited the Francysk Skaryna (Pranciškaus Skorinos) Gymnasium in Vilnius, where she took part in this year’s last bell ceremony. The gymnasium is the only one in Lithuania where Belarusians can study in their native language. Hundreds of children who had to move to the country after 2020 have had the […]
May 31, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We must stop thinking that everything depends on Russia – we have been in its orbit for too long”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was interviewed by the Spanish publication El Mundo. She outlined the main priorities of the democratic forces from a strategic perspective. Here are some of the most notable quotes from the interview: 📌 “We must ensure that our democratic coalition has its own strategy. We must stop thinking that everything depends on Russia […]
May 30, 2024
“Let’s be his voice and use his words to share his ideas”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on anniversary of Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s arrest
Today marks four years since Siarhei Tsikhanouski was detained. It has been a long time since anyone, including his family and close friends, has heard from him. But all his loved ones, friends, and allies believe in his words and continue the cause he lived for. In today’s video, they become his voice and share […]
May 29, 2024
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Portuguese Foreign Minister discussed sanctions against regime and experience of democratic transition
During the Concordia Europe Summit in Porto, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel. They discussed sanctions against the Lukashenka regime, particularly concerning exports of potassium fertilizers. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called for synchronizing the sanctions and closing loopholes to make the restrictions more effective, while also not isolating Belarusians but supporting them. […]
May 29, 2024