Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at a rally of solidarity with Ukraine and Belarusian political prisoners in Wrocław, 2023
Dear friends! I am glad to welcome you to Wrocław – the city of free people. It was here that unprecedented protests began 55 years ago. They started with the fact that the authorities removed Adam Mickiewicz’s “Dziady” from the local theater repertoire because they considered this work to be anti-Soviet. Rallies against censorship turned […]
October 01, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusian teachers on Teacher’s Day
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusian teachers and congratulated them on Teacher's Day, celebrated in Belarus on the first Sunday of October: “Being a teacher is about devoting yourself to the cause without expecting anything in return. Some things children's parents say might hurt you. Some students may hold a grudge on you because of low grades. […]
October 01, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on Belarusians to support repressed teachers
On the eve of Teacher's Day in Belarus, the teams of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office and the Hutka.help initiative shared a list of Belarusian teachers who need support. Hutka.help is not a foundation. Instead of raising funds, it shares the bank details of the repressed, thus giving people the opportunity to support them directly. Anton Dzeruchenka […]
September 30, 2023
Concept of restitution for victims of repression: rehabilitation
In the first days of the transition period, the priority will be to release political prisoners and those convicted on political grounds on criminal or administrative charges. The next step will be to address the issue of compensation for those aggrieved by the regime since July 20, 1994 – the day Lukashenka came to power. […]
September 29, 2023
Results of Anatoli Liabedzka’s working visit to Krakow
On September 25-27, Anatoli Liabiedzka, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor for the Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, paid a working visit to Krakow. Anatoli Liabedzka met with the Chairman of the Foreign and European Union Affairs Committee of the Polish Senate, Bogdan Klich, who has been a longtime friend of democratic Belarus, and Belarusian politician and economist […]
September 28, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the American Chamber of Commerce Women’s Leadership Event in Vilnius, 2023
Dear friends, Let me start with words of gratitude to the American Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania for inviting me to speak today. I’m impressed by your great effort to promote and advance women’s leadership. And, of course, let me thank Lithuania, which became a safe haven for me and thousands of Belarusians fleeing repression. […]
September 28, 2023
Aleś Alaсhnovič spoke on results of 3rd Belarusian Business Forum
Last week, the Association of Belarusian Business Abroad (ABBA) held the 3rd Belarusian Business Forum in Warsaw. More than 200 delegates from at least 13 countries participated, half of them were representatives of Belarusian business. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the opening of the forum. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Economic Reforms and one of the organizers […]
September 27, 2023
Marharyta Vorykhava met with students of College of Europe
Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, met with students of the College of Europe. Marharyta Vorykhava: “I discussed the situation in our country with students studying the Belarusian context. We also talked about the problems faced by the Belarusian youth and ways to solve them, as well as the different […]
September 27, 2023
Tatiana Shchyttsova took part in discussion “Academia in Exile”
Tatiana Shchyttsova, Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Education and Science, took part in the panel discussion “Academia in Exile”, which was dedicated to academic freedom in a democratic society and scientists in exile. Ms. Shchyttsova's speech was an opportunity to draw the attention of the international academic community to the situation in Belarus and the […]
September 27, 2023
Concept of restitution for victims of repression: principles and mechanisms
The time of democratic transition will be difficult for Belarus. To facilitate one of its aspects in advance, the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, together with human rights organizations, NGOs, lawyers, and former attorneys, has developed a draft Concept of restitution for victims of repression. The document will provide guidelines for restoring justice for those who […]
September 26, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office and United Transitional Cabinet joined International Congress of Belarusian Studies
Representatives of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office and the United Transitional Cabinet participated in the 11th International Congress of Belarusian Studies, which took place in Gdansk, Poland, on September 22-24. It was attended by Senior Political Advisor to Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, Alexander Dabravolski, Advisor for the Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatoli Liabedzka, Advisor on Education and Science, […]
September 25, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on liquidation of Chornobyl Children NGO in Belarus
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “In recent years, almost 1.5 thousand non-commercial organizations have been liquidated in Belarus. The Chornobyl Children NGO became one of these organizations. For over 30 years, children from the areas most affected by radiation have been receiving help abroad, recuperating from the consequences of the Chornobyl disaster, learning new languages and cultures, and […]
September 25, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We live in a time when Belarus’ most worthy people are behind bars”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Today is the birthday of our Nobel laureate, the head of the Viasna Human Rights Center, Ales Bialiatski. Dear Mr. Bialiatski, I remember your words: the people who value freedom the most are often deprived of it. And it saddens me greatly to see how these words have come to describe the Belarusian […]
September 25, 2023
Restitution for victims of regime: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office presents draft Concept
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office has partnered with lawyers, human rights defenders, and non-governmental organizations to develop the draft Concept, which will regulate restitution for individuals who have suffered from the regime. The Concept is aimed to restore justice for those who have faced repression and human rights violations during Lukashenka's rule since July 20, 1994. Restitution […]
September 25, 2023
More than 20 Western European countries supported democratic Belarus at UN Human Rights Council hearing
Kristina Rikhter, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Issues, attended the 54th session of the Human Rights Council, which discussed the report on the situation in Belarus in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath. During the hearing, it was emphasized that since the publication of the report, the situation in Belarus […]
September 22, 2023
Belarusians will retain their right to vote in local elections in Estonia
Anatoli Liabedzka, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor for the Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, announced that Estonia has removed from the agenda the proposal to deprive Belarusians living in the country of the right to vote in local elections: “During consultations with Marko Mihkelson, the Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, a legal appraisal was […]
September 22, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Executive Director of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the United Transitional Cabinet Representative for Foreign Affairs, Valery Kavaleuski, met with Melissa Parke to discuss the situation regarding the placement of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that the threat of nuclear weapons in Belarus goes beyond the country’s national borders. “Belarusians stand firmly against the placement of […]
September 22, 2023
Marharyta Vorykhava’s statement on the regime’s attempts to keep young professionals from leaving Belarus
Currently, students in Belarus have to work for a minimum of 2 years (or 5 in some cases) at a place assigned to them by the university if their studies were subsidized from the state budget. Yesterday, Lukashenka suggested extending this practice to other students as well, even if they have paid tuition fees. Sviatlana […]
September 22, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at “The threat to the independence of Belarus and the international response” UN General Assembly side event, 2023
Minister Thórdís Gylfadóttir, Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister Miroslav Wlachovsky, Mr. Tobias Lindner, Mr. Enrique Mora, Dear friends, First, let me thank all of your countries present in this room for being here and standing with Belarusians. Today, Belarus passes through a humanitarian, political and security crisis. And there is no better place to talk about it […]
September 22, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Belarusians must participate in the conversation about their country’s future”
The Belarusian leader spoke at the side event “Threat to Belarus' independence and international response to it“ on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. She called for an international strategy to preserve the independence of Belarus and more determined resistance to dictatorships. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The more the world recognizes and supports […]
September 22, 2023
UN Human Rights Council holds hearing on Belarus
Today, as part of the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation in Belarus will be heard. The report was initially published in the spring, and today its updated version will be presented. Kristina Rikhter, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, […]
September 22, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the new Foreign Minister of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš during UN General Assembly
During the brief meeting, Mr. Kariņš and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed the situation at the Latvian-Belarusian border and the need for decisive action by the West towards Belarus. The Belarusian leader emphasized that she expects support for democratic Belarus from the new Latvian government.
September 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen
Ms. Valtonen, who recently took over as Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Belarusian leader discussed Lukashenka's “election” campaign announced for 2024. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya explained that these elections will be a farce and emphasized that the international community should not recognize them. The discussion also focused on issues related to support for Belarusian NGOs […]
September 21, 2023
PACE discussed Lukashenka regime’s persecution of Belarusians for opposition to war
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor for the Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatoli Liabedzka, met with Thórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir, a member of the Icelandic Parliament and PACE General Rapporteur, to discuss the persecution of Belarusians for their opposition to the war in Ukraine. “The subject of Ms. Ævarsdóttir’s report is disturbing because it touches on the conflict […]
September 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy
The Belarusian leader met with the leading politicians of Italy – Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya talked about the progress in preparing the new Belarusian passport and urged Italy to support this initiative. During the meeting, the Belarusian leader proposed that Italy appoint a special envoy for […]
September 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
On the margins of the UN General Assembly, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. They last met in Ottawa a year ago. The Belarusian leader thanked Canada for its support and asked the Prime Minister to raise the issue of Belarus at the G7 summit. “Canada has actively supported democratic […]
September 21, 2023
New Belarusian passports and simplification of migration for Belarusians: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with European Commissioner for Home Affairs
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the United Transitional Cabinet Representative for Foreign Affairs, Valery Kavaleuski, met with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson. The Belarusian leader thanked her for the expert assistance in developing the new Belarusian passport and bringing it in line with international standards. Valery Kavaleuski discussed further plans, such as issuing samples, […]
September 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Secretary General of Council of Europe
The meeting took place at the UN headquarters, where the General Assembly is being held. Marija Pejčinović Burić and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed the work of the CoE Contact Group on Belarus, which has been active for over a year now. They talked about the action plan developed by the Contact Group. Several events have already […]
September 20, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Margus Tsahkna discussed the Conference on Belarus, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia and the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The event will take place on November 9 in Tartu and on November 10 in Tallinn involving representatives of Belarus' democratic forces, civil society, and independent media. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed […]
September 20, 2023