Kristina Rikhter: “The future of Belarus belongs to its young people, not to those who force them to record confession videos”
Yesterday, May 23, the Law Faculty of the Belarusian State University published a video of a student forced to confess to “disseminating discrediting information” about the university administration and the regime's BRSM Youth Union. Kristina Rikhter, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor on Legal Affairs, considers this a flagrant violation of fundamental rights underlying academia. Kristina Rikhter: “Student […]
May 24, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session: strategy for political prisoners release, action against nuclear weapons stationing in Belarus, accountability for the regime
During the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session in Luxembourg, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with parliamentary delegations from Canada, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. All meetings focused on the strategy for countering the stationing of nuclear weapons in Belarus, achieving the release of political prisoners, and responding to the regime's involvement in the displacement of […]
May 23, 2023
Kristina Rikhter: “We know the methods the regime uses to make conditions unbearable for political prisoners. It is in the best interest of the prison authorities to put an end to their incommunicado detention”
The legal team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office has prepared a detailed analysis of how prison administrations constrain the basic rights of political prisoners on top of depriving them of liberty. The report explains the trickery the regime uses to maximize the harm to people. We are in fact witnessing a systematic government policy of increasing […]
May 22, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I want to thank all of you who have joined the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners today”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I want to thank all of you who have joined the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners today. I thank each and every one of you who participated in rallies, wrote letters, made donations, changed your profile pictures on social media, or posted about our heroes. You are the voice of our political […]
May 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Luxembourg, 2023
«Dear Mr. Congressman Boyle, Dear Mr. Minister Tom Köller, Dear friends, It is a big honor to address you today on behalf of all Belarusians, who despite fear and repression, continue fighting for their freedom and independence. Our fight is our common fight. It is the fight against the evil past, against tyranny, and Russian […]
May 21, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya invited Belarusians and foreigners to join events, rallies, and activities for the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners on May 21
Belarusian initiatives have prepared activities and events for the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus on May 21. The Belarusian Students’ Association, RADA and Viasna, ByProsvet, Razam, Belarusian Council for Culture, White Coats, Ecodom, and other projects will hold live streams, fundraisers, movie screenings, and more. Belarusians will hold rallies all over the […]
May 20, 2023
Digest of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office on Education and Science, April 2023
Please send information about everything related to education in Belarus to our secure and anonymous chatbot @eduOST_bot. Tell us the news from your educational institution or government department regarding repression and various forms of pressure from authorities, write to us about facts of corruption and new orders that seem unreasonable or irrational to you. We also […]
May 19, 2023
Parliamentary groups For Democratic Belarus may be formed soon in Estonia and Latvia
A Belarusian delegation has been taking part in the Baltic Assembly events in Tallinn these days. Anatoli Liabedzka, Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya for Interparliamentary Cooperation, spoke on the outcomes of the talks: “A group For Democratic Belarus will be established in the Estonian Parliament. We spoke with representatives of four factions, which all turned out […]
May 19, 2023
Kristina Rikhter: “The Council of Europe acknowledged the fact of the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Belarus”
Kristina Rikhter: “The Council of Europe acknowledged the fact of the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Belarus. This was a result of the collaborative efforts and productive work of Belarus’ democratic forces. The deportation of Ukrainian children from the Russia-occupied territories to Belarus without individual medical reasons and written consent of competent authorities is […]
May 19, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The regime deprives political prisoners of communication with the outside, assuming the whole world will forget about them. But we will never let this happen”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “In the past weeks, many have been busy discussing the disappearance of Lukashenka, his health, and missing reports about him. But remember how long we have had no reports about many political prisoners. It has been 23 days now since the last reports of Viktar Babaryka’s whereabouts and health. It has been 100 […]
May 19, 2023
Results of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s second day at the Reykjavik Council of Europe Summit
On the second day of the Council of Europe Summit, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya joined the CoE plenary session and met with the Prime Minister of Portugal, President of Finland, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, and President of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations […]
May 18, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the PACE Summit: “We embark on our path towards Belarus’s accession to the Council of Europe”
“For the first time, Belarus has its own voice in the Council of Europe. It is here and now that we begin our journey toward Belarus's accession to the Council of Europe. It will take a lot of time. To achieve full membership, we need to restore democracy in Belarus, abolish the death penalty, and […]
May 18, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Secretary General of the Council of Europe discussed joint work and tribunal for Lukashenka
The meeting discussed further steps for the inclusion of Belarus’ democratic community in the Council of Europe and its individual programs. The next meeting of the Contact Group is scheduled for June. A project in support of independent journalists has already been implemented within its framework. In the near future, the group will hold events […]
May 17, 2023
Support for businesses and IT sector, sanctions on potash exports. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa
António Costa and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed the operational environment for Belarusian businesses and representatives of the IT sector who have relocated to Portugal. They agreed to hold a meeting with representatives of these companies in autumn to discuss and improve the environment. The conversation mostly focused on potash fertilizers and their export to third countries. […]
May 17, 2023
Aid to Belarusian refugees, tribunal for Lukashenka, defending Belarus from Russian absorption. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of PACE
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe President Tiny Kox during the CoE Summit in Reykjavik. He invited Ms. Tsikhanouskaya to speak at the PACE plenary session in June, which will feature a presentation of the report on the situation of Belarusian refugees. The document estimates that 200 thousand to 500 […]
May 17, 2023
Results of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s first day at the Reykjavik Council of Europe Summit
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the opening of the Council of Europe Summit held in Reykjavik. Her presence at the summit affirms that the Council of Europe recognizes Belarus’ democratic forces as legitimate representatives of the country. She held sideline discussions with the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, Head of the European Council, Charles […]
May 17, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikahnouskaya arrived in Reykjavik to attend the Council of Europe Summit on May 16-17
Although Belarus is not a member of the Council of Europe, the organization made an exception and invited Ms. Tsikhanouskaya as a special guest. The Summit may be the key Council of Europe meeting of the decade as the previous one was held in Warsaw in 2005. Heads or representatives of 46 states are expected […]
May 16, 2023
“I envision a Belarus where the principles upheld by the Council of Europe are not distant ideals but everyday realities”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the PACE Standing Committee meeting in Reykjavik, 2023
“President Kox, Madame Prime Minister, Madame Minister,
Dear Members of the Standing Committee, Dear friends, Today, I came to you with a very simple message from Belarusians: be the voice of those who can’t speak now. Last week, I had a call with a Belarusian woman. Her daughter and her son are both in Lukashenka’s […]
May 16, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikahnouskaya met with the Speaker of the Danish parliament and MPs for foreign affairs
Yesterday, May 15, Sviatlana Tsikahnouskaya paid a short visit to Denmark, where she met with Denmark’s parliamentary leadership and British MP and former prime minister Liz Truss. She also spoke at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit and gave interviews to Danish and international media. During the meeting, Danish MPs and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed support for Belarus. […]
May 16, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke in Copenhagen on nuclear weapons in Belarus
Today Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, where she delivered an address as a keynote speaker on the situation in Belarus and the geopolitical risks of nuclear weapons deployment, as well as the situation with political prisoners. She called for being resolute in opposing the deployment of nuclear weapons and developing a strategy for […]
May 15, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “On this day exactly one year ago, Pavel “Volat” Suslau, commander of Kastus Kalinouski regiment, was killed”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “On this day exactly one year ago, Pavel “Volat” Suslau, commander of the Kastus Kalinouski regiment, was killed. It hurts to commemorate such dates but it is a date of remembrance. We must remember and honor our heroes. And Pavel Suslau is certainly a hero. I have seen the video filmed by Pavel's […]
May 15, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Council of Europe Summit Round table “A Democracy Fit for the Future”, 2023
“Dear Excellencies, Dear Members of Parliamentary Assembly Dear friends, students, I am deeply honored to give key remarks at this roundtable and I regret I can’t be there in person today. The fight for democracy needs its champions – those who dedicate their lives to it and their freedom at stake in its name. One […]
May 15, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attended the award ceremony of the Charlemagne Prize
Yesterday Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her associates in the female trio, Veranika Tsapkala and Tatsiana Khomich, who represented political prisoner Maryia Kalesnikava, took part in the award ceremony of the Charlemagne Prize. This year the Prize, awarded to the trio last year, was given to Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the People of Ukraine. This is one of […]
May 15, 2023
Valery Kavaleuski: “I call on each of you to care for political prisoners not only on May 21 but every day”
The United Transitional Cabinet Deputy Head, Valery Kavaleuski, addressed the Belarusian people on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Belarus: “One of my priorities in Washington is to communicate the situation in Belarus and mobilize international efforts to prevent Lukashenka from 'turning over the page' and normalizing what is happening […]
May 12, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Belarus is swept by mass layoffs. The only exception are the regime’s stooges”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “A man from Minsk wrote to me the other day: 'At my factory, people are forced to take a long time off, unpaid leaves, and are laid off for the sake of “partial power and resource saving” due to lack of financing'. You know, this story is not one of its kind. The […]
May 12, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: Support fundraising for political prisoners organized by Belarusian activists
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The Viasna Human Rights Center estimates the number of political prisoners in Belarus to be almost 1500 people. Since 2020, at least 728 people have been released after serving their politically motivated sentences. Thousands of Belarusians are still in facilities of restricted freedom. Many refuse to be recognized as political prisoners, reasonably fearing […]
May 12, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the 5th Our Future Forum in Warsaw, 2023
“Dear friends, Let me welcome the organisers and participants of The 5th Our Future Forum. I’m very privileged to speak to the most brilliant minds of the new generation – Europe’s hope for the future. I have no doubt that democracy will be the cornerstone of this future. Our Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski […]
May 12, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the 34th Heidelberg Symposium
“Dear friends, Thank you for the invitation to address the 34th Heidelberg Symposium. One of this year's topics is “What will be the legacy of our times?” It is not an easy question, for sure. In my opinion, the legacy of our times must be courage. Because, if there won't be courage, there will be probably […]
May 11, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Pavel Belavus’ sentence: “This is a sentence for all Belarusians who dream of a Belarus that values its identity”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Today, the “court” sentenced Pavel Belavus to 13 years of imprisonment. People who would not care much if Belarus lost its independence and merged into Russia convicted a man who puts Belarus before all else. Pavel Belavus has been working on projects promoting Belarusian culture and national identity for more than 10 years. […]
May 11, 2023