Lithuanian Seimas adopted restrictive measures in view of military aggression against Ukraine in the second reading. What can change for Belarusians?
On April 4, the Seimas of Lithuania passed in the second reading the bill on restrictive measures in view of military aggression against Ukraine. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Advisor on Legal Issues Kristina Rikhter explained what might change for the citizens of Belarus. “The previous version of the bill imposed significant restrictions on Belarusians in obtaining visas, […]
April 04, 2023
Second Conference of the Belarusian diaspora initiated by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office will take place in Vilnius on April 22-23
This conference continues the efforts of bringing together representatives of the Belarusian diaspora and democratic forces on one platform to establish mutual cooperation. The conference will cover the following issues: the current political strategy of the Office, United Transitional Cabinet, and Coordination Council; support for the activities of diaspora organizations; joint efforts towards the national […]
April 01, 2023
Views in Washington on Belarus, the regime, and the nuclear threat. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on her visit to the USA
– During the visit, the United States announced the launch of a strategic dialogue with democratic Belarus. This means by the end of this year, the democratic forces will formalize cooperation with the US government. Representatives of the Coordination Council and civil society of Belarus will be invited to the dialogue. The democratic forces will […]
March 31, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Letter to the United Nations Security Council Regarding the Deployment of Russian Nuclear Forces on the Territory of Belarus
Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Leader of the Democratic Forces of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Letter to the United Nations Security Council Regarding the Deployment of Russian Nuclear Forces on the Territory of Belarus. Text of the letter: “Mr. President, Distinguished members of the UN Security Council, I am writing to convey the […]
March 31, 2023
Digest of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office on Education and Science, March 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 […]
March 31, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “They won’t take away our memory”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Yesterday I got to attend the play “Dreams of Belarus.” It is still difficult to watch our stories while knowing many are not over yet. And nevertheless, we must record everything that happens to us so we do not repeat this horror in the future. I was particularly impressed when I heard the […]
March 31, 2023
Threat to the independence of Belarus must be reviewed by the UN Security Council and General Assembly
Today, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya greeted French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna in her office in Vilnius. The meeting discussed holding the Lukashenka regime accountable so that its crimes do not go unpunished and it is brought to account for repressions against Belarusians and involvement in the war against Ukraine. Ms. Colonna and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also discussed Putin’s […]
March 30, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Natallia Pinchuk, wife of Nobel Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Today I had the honor to talk with Natallia Pinchuk. And this personal meeting yet again reassured me that Natallia is an incredibly courageous, brave woman with a kind heart. I know what it's like when your husband is behind bars and you are not sure how he is or how to help […]
March 30, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with PACE member appointed to prepare report on “Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarusians in exile”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Paul Galles, a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) appointed to prepare a report on “Addressing the specific challenges faced by the Belarusians in exile.” The meeting was yet another step in the systematic work to address the problems faced by Belarusians who had to leave […]
March 30, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Natallia Pinchuk’s speech at the Summit for Democracy 2023
At the invitation of President Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya together with Natallia Pinchuk (wife of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski) took part in the Summit for Democracy 2023, organized by the White House. Tsikhanouskaya and Pinchuk spoke before the speech of President Biden in the main program of the Summit. Full text of the speech: […]
March 29, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the arrest of Anatoli Liabedzka’s son
“Anatoli told me his son was detained in Belarus. He was detained only for being the son of his father. Sadly, I know well the pain of having your loved one behind bars for no reason. Stay strong, Anatoli”.
March 28, 2023
“Relations with hostile Russia must change”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing “U.S. Support of Democracy and Human Rights” in Washington DC, 2023
“Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Risch, Distinguished members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about the dire situation of democracy and human rights in Belarus and its implications for regional security and global interests. I will provide brief remarks while I would like to ask Chairman Menendez to accept my […]
March 28, 2023
Propagandists in universities are a troubling sign of where Belarus is headed
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I have heard recently about propagandists giving lectures at Belarusian universities. I'm convinced that their desire to speak to the younger generation in person is not borne out of a great love for imparting knowledge. It's just that young people don't watch TV and are shielded from their stream of lies. It's a […]
March 28, 2023
“Belarus in Ukraine’s foreign policy”. A policy brief by Oxford Belarus Observatory
Oxford Belarus Observatory, in collaboration with the Research Centre of the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (OST) and the Institute for Global Sustainable Development (IGSD) of the University of Warwick, is compiling a series of Policy Briefs based on the discussions taking place in our jointly convened Expert Webinar series. We invite you to read the […]
March 28, 2023
Kristina Rikhter: “From June, Belarusians in Poland will be eligible to receive travel documents for free”
On January 18 this year, the Polish Ministry of Interior's working group held another meeting involving Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor on legal issues Kristina Rikhter, representative of the Center of Belarusian Solidarity Volha Dabravolskaya, and lawyer of National Anti-Crisis Management Artsiom Praskalovich. The meeting discussed the facilitation of legalization of stay for Belarusians in Poland who […]
March 27, 2023
Rally outside White House, meeting with Belarusians, interviews with major publications. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya continues her visit to the USA
On March 25, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the celebration of Freedom Day in Washington, D.C. She spoke at a rally outside the White House, calling on Belarusians not to give up and to continue the fight to free all political prisoners and bring the country to freedom and democracy. In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also […]
March 26, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Belarusian diaspora rally in Washington DC, 2023
“Dear Belarusians, Americans, Ukrainians, Dear Lithuanians, Poles, friends of free Belarus, and everyone who joined us today! Today we celebrate Belarus Freedom Day. On this day, 105 years ago our ancestors shouted in one voice…Enough is enough! Enough oppression! Enough tyranny! Enough suffering! Belarusians told to the world: “We are a free, European, and self-sufficient […]
March 26, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Lukashenka and Putin made Belarus a target for attack”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Lukashenka violated the Constitution when he effectively destroyed the separation of powers in the 1990s and made himself the sole ruler. He violated the Constitution when he declared war on civil society, purged the political parties, took away freedom of speech from television, and then destroyed independent media. He violated the Constitution when […]
March 26, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Victims of Communism & Holodomor Memorial in Washington DC, 2023
“Your excellencies, dear friends, Ambassador Kristjan Prikk, Dear Mr. Zygis Pavilionis, It is a great honor for me to stand before you today. It is an honor but also a big pain. Today, we pay tribute to the millions of innocent victims of the Soviet communist tyranny. We honor the memory of the millions of […]
March 25, 2023
Marshall Plan, scholarships for Belarusians, and accountability for the regime. Overview of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Boston
Yesterday, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and a delegation of the United Transitional Cabinet visited Boston. They visited Harvard University, took part in the opening of the European Conference, met with the President of the European Parliament, attended a ceremony of raising the Belarusian flag, and met with the Belarusian diaspora. The major issues discussed during meetings and […]
March 25, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Freedom Day Flag Raising Ceremony in Boston, 2023
“Dear Belarusians, Dear friends, Dear representatives of Boston city hall, Today we celebrate the Belarus Freedom Day. Today, we celebrate the heroism of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians who fearlessly fight for freedom and independence. We celebrate our right to live in a really democratic society and independent country. This is the right that no […]
March 25, 2023
“We have a lot to celebrate”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked Belarusians in a Freedom Day congratulation address
Freedom Day marks the 1918 declaration of independence of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians to congratulate them on this occasion. You can watch the address with English subtitles.
March 25, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s opening remarks at the Europe’s Struggle for Relevance, Unity and Value conversation with Roberta Metsola in Cambridge, 2023
“Thank you, Prof. Ekiert, for your kind introduction. President Metsola, thank you for your inspiring speech. It’s an honor to see you today as always. I see here eager undergraduates, tired mid-career students — seeking refuge from the bureaucracy of the German Finance Ministry, French Presidency, or State Department. Gosh, how much I wish I could […]
March 24, 2023
Visit to Harvard, meeting with EU Parliament President, and Belarusian flag over Boston City Hall
The delegation of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus continues its visit to the United States. Today, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will give a lecture and participate in a discussion with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, at Harvard University. A separate meeting with Ms. Metsola is also scheduled. During their meeting with the leadership […]
March 24, 2023
Kristina Rikhter: “The Moscow Mechanism is the next step in holding the Lukashenka regime accountable”
On March 23, the Canadian Permanent Representative to the OSCE delivered a joint statement on behalf of delegations from 38 participating states calling for invoking the Moscow Mechanism for Belarus. Kristina Rikhter, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor on legal issues, explains what the Moscow Mechanism is and how it will impact Belarus. What is the Moscow Mechanism? […]
March 24, 2023
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s speech at the Kalinowski Conference in Washington DC, 2023
“Dear Speaker Emerita Pelosi, Zygis Pavilionis, Dear Excellencies, Honourable Speakers, Freedom fighters from all over the world, Dear Friends of Free Belarus, It is truly a remarkable and historical day. That the Kalinowski conference is taking place here in Washington D.C. in the building of U.S. Congress, the beating heart of American democracy. If you say the […]
March 23, 2023
Kristina Rikhter: “We are in touch with the legislative and executive authorities of Lithuania to make sure the Lithuanian Seismas’s draft bill respects the legitimate rights of Belarusians”
On March 21, the Seimas of Lithuania in the first reading approved a draft law that prohibits citizens of Russia and Belarus from applying for citizenship, as well as buying real estate, in view of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor on legal issues Kristina Rikhter explains what this means for the citizens of […]
March 22, 2023
Instead of creating jobs, the regime creates problems
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Our country is setting new abysmal records. One of them is the shortage of qualified personnel across the country. In February 2023, there was a shortage of almost 103,000 workers in various industries throughout Belarus, and this number is growing. Stores, schools, and hospitals in villages and towns are closing because they have […]
March 21, 2023
Kristina Rikhter: “There is enough evidence – it’s time for the trial”
Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presented a report on the human rights situation in Belarus during and after the 2020 presidential campaign. Kristina Richter, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's advisor on legal issues, commented on the report. “At first glance, the conclusions of the report are very cautious, only suggesting "some of the violations […]
March 20, 2023