Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The Belarusian issue must be raised in the UN Human Rights Council”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and briefed him on the issue of political prisoners, many of whom are in a critical situation. They discussed the situation of Belarusian refugees who face various restrictions while having no support from the Belarusian government. The Belarusian leader urged Türk […]
June 07, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the results of the UN Security Council vote: “This signifies the international community’s view of the Lukashenka regime – and it is not positive”
“Today the UN General Assembly said a decisive 'no' to the Lukashenka regime in the UN Security Council election. Only 38 countries cast their votes for it, while Slovenia received a convincing 153 votes. For the first time since the 2020 election triggered the crisis, countries globally had an opportunity to speak out about their […]
June 06, 2023
Digest of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office on Education and Science, May 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 […]
June 06, 2023
Austrian Foreign Minister offered to transfer evidence of the Lukashenka regime’s crimes to The Hague
Yesterday Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. She handed the minister the report by the National Anti-Crisis Management on the involvement of the Lukashenka regime and companies related to Belaruskali in the displacement of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories. The minister offered to refer the evidence to the International Criminal Court […]
June 06, 2023
Support for Belarusian companies and assistance in elaborating reforms. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayaya met with the President of Austria
Today Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya began her working visit to Austria, where she met with President Alexander Van der Bellen. Ms. Tsikhanouskayaya suggested that Austria act to ensure that local companies stop their cooperation with the regime and support Belarusian companies in exile. The parties discussed support for human rights defenders, assistance in training professionals, and the […]
June 05, 2023
Responsibility of Lukashenka’s Regime for Crimes Against Humanity and Migrant Crisis: Prospects for International Justice
On June 12, Vilnius will host an international conference “Responsibility of Lukashenka’s Regime for Crimes Against Humanity and Migrant Crisis: Prospects for International Justice,” organized by the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice in partnership with the Law and Democracy Center. In addition to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the conference will be attended by Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, […]
June 05, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Dzmitry Sarokin was reported today to have suddenly died at a police station in Lida”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Dzmitry Sarokin was reported today to have suddenly died at a police station in Lida. We do not yet know the reasons why Dmitry was in police custody, but this is not the first time that the regime's security bodies have detained him. The cause of death of Dzmitry, who was 37, remains […]
June 05, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Alina Koushyk took part in the Culture in Exile Solidarity Days in Krakow
On June 3-4, “Culture in Exile” events took place, aimed to promote support for and solidarity with Belarusian artists. The events were attended by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Alina Koushyk, the United Transition Cabinet Representative for National Revival, as well as Uladzimir Arlou, Uladzimir Niaklyaeu, Andrei Khadanovich, Tatsiana Niadbai, Hanna Yankuta, Maria Bonet, Viktar Siamashka, and others. […]
June 05, 2023
Belarusian culture in exile and prospects for a free Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at Culture in Exile Solidarity Days in Krakow, 2023
“Dear Mr. Ambassador Artur Michalski, Mr. Arkady Rzegocki, Vice-Director Joanna Wajda, Dear Ms. Director Dominika Kasprowicz, Dear Mr. Chairman Jan Piekło, Dear Belarusians, Dear Polish and Ukrainian friends! Let me begin my address by quoting the classic whose heritage we share. Adam Mickiewicz wrote these words in exile. In Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus almost everyone […]
June 04, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will participate in the Culture in Exile Solidarity Days in Krakow
On June 3-4, Krakow will host “Culture in Exile” events to promote support for and solidarity with Belarusian artists. The Solidarity Days will be held at the Villa Decius Institute for Culture which supports repressed Belarusian cultural figures. On June 4, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will deliver a speech on “Prospects for a Free Belarus”. Alina Koushyk, […]
June 02, 2023
Visas for Belarusians and rehabilitation for volunteer fighters: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Foreign Minister of Slovakia
During her visit to Bratislava, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Miroslav Wlachovský. They discussed the situation with political prisoners, accountability for the perpetrators of crimes, and the response to the illegal stationing of nuclear weapons. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the need to distinguish between the regime and the […]
June 01, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The regime’s policies do not only affect us. They target our children, too”
“Parents from Belarus complain about the education system in our country. Kindergartens, schools, and universities no longer belong to children; propaganda uses them for its own purposes. Ideologists try to get into children's heads, targeting even the youngest minds. And they do not strive to teach children anything important. What they want is to instill […]
June 01, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office and partners will bring Belarusians together in Warsaw for Jadnajsia! civil society event
The events of 2020 and 2022 scattered Belarusians all over the world, and many miss a supportive environment. This is why it is important for Belarusians to maintain or create communities enabling them to support each other and work together for the good of Belarus. On June 14, an open event will be held in […]
May 31, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on the high school exam scoring malfunction and the regime’s denial of it
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I know very well how much effort children put into successfully passing the school-leaving exams, which were reformed this year. It involves sleepless nights, textbooks and study materials every day, tutors, and additional classes at school. And now the graduates have encountered the very essence of the system – the National Institute for […]
May 30, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the GLOBSEC forum in Bratislava
In her speech, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the international community to vigorously defend democratic values and support Belarus and Ukraine. She noted that Ukraine is fighting both for its territory and values shared by all democratic countries. She noted that it is crucial to be prepared for a new window of opportunities once it opens. […]
May 30, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a meeting with the Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, current OSCE Chair
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Bujar Osmani discussed the crisis faced by the OSCE as a result of the disruptive behavior of the Lukashenka regime and Russia. Earlier, the official delegations of Minsk and Russia had blocked Estonia's chairmanship in the organization. They discussed the findings of the Moscow Mechanism report and further steps for its implementation, […]
May 30, 2023
GLOBSEC Forum and meeting with the President. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya begins her visit to Slovakia
On May 29-30, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will be in Bratislava to speak at the GLOBSEC Forum. The forum will also be attended by the President of France, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Parliament, the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, and other international leaders. At the […]
May 29, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the 3rd anniversary of Siarhei’s detention: “Belarusians are the reason I keep holding on”
“Over the three years that we have been apart, I visited so many countries that I couldn't even imagine before. In fact, though, I dream of coming back home and living with Siarhei and our kids in a free Belarus. For all these three years, I've played it cool when asked about the dearest person […]
May 29, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, 2023
“Ladies and gentlemen, Let me thank our Ukrainian friends for inviting me, as the representative of democratic Belarus, to discuss the future of our region’s security. We must ensure that the voice of Belarusians in preserving our national interests is heard – to more effectively fight dictators and to prepare for the post-war settlement. Since […]
May 26, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, in her office in Vilnius
On May 25, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland visited Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's office in Vilnius. During the meeting, they discussed the outcomes of the Council of Europe Summit held in Reykjavik and further action. They agreed to continue cooperation within the framework of the Council of Europe and the United Nations and talked about […]
May 26, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “With no intervention from parents, the regime might make our children future propagandists and policemen”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Dear parents, teachers, and graduates. I would like to address you on the occasion of the academic year ending. I think you know very well that education in Belarus has always been a field for experiments and novelties. For example, parents of today’s schoolchildren used to attend “zero” grade because the government replaced […]
May 26, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on nuclear weapons: “The future of Belarus and whether our children can live in it depends on us”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The stationing of nuclear weapons in our country will strengthen Russia's control over Belarus, which is already enormous. It will require tremendous efforts to abandon these weapons, as they may become a subject of bargaining and aggression on Russia’s end. And Belarusians will have to deal with the consequences for years. Therefore, we […]
May 25, 2023
Valery Kavaleuski: “The stationing of nuclear weapons is an ostensible threat to the independence of Belarus”
Valery Kavaleuski, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet and its Representative for Foreign Affairs, commented on the reports of Russia’s and Lukashenka’s defense ministers endorsing documents formalizing storage of Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus. Valery Kavaleuski: “Lukashenka's Defense Minister Khrenin and Russia’s Shoigu took another step toward the stationing of nuclear weapons on […]
May 25, 2023
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