Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s Opening Remarks at the Panel Discussion at the University of Iceland
“Dear Minister Thordarson, Dear President Jóhannesson, Dear Rector Benediktsson, Dear colleagues and friends, I am glad to speak to you today on behalf of the Belarusian people. A nation that fights for its freedom and dignity. It may sound surprising, but Iceland and Belarus are closer than one may think. Our histories have had many […]
July 02, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Speech at Henry Jackson Society Event
“Dear panelists, dear colleagues, and friends, Thank you for inviting me to this panel and sharing some thoughts with you on how, together, we can resolve the political and humanitarian crisis in Belarus. This is the question of today’s discussion, and this is the question that is at the heart of my team’s everyday work. […]
July 01, 2021
Norwegian Foreign Minister addressed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: Norway will join the EU sanctions and has already increased support for Belarusians
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made a call to Norwegian Foreign Minister Ina Mari Eriksson Serede. During the call Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: – encouraged Norway to join the EU 4 Package of sanctions and sectoral sanctions. Areas such as potassium fertilizers – in which the regime will try to circumvent restrictions – receive special attention; – discussed with the […]
June 30, 2021
Norwegian Foreign Minister addressed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: Norway will join the EU sanctions and has already increased support for Belarusians
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made a call to Norwegian Foreign Minister Ina Mari Eriksson Serede. During the call Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: – encouraged Norway to join the EU 4 Package of sanctions and sectoral sanctions. Areas such as potassium fertilizers – in which the regime will try to circumvent restrictions – receive special attention; – discussed with the […]
June 30, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – about the heart attack of journalist Denis Ivashin in the punishment cell: “Imagine how they fear freedom of speech”
“Never before has this happened”, – said Denis Ivashina’s mother about his 41-year–old son who suffered a heart attack behind bars. Denis Ivashin is a journalist who investigated the move of former Ukrainian “Berkutov” and their service in the Belarusian OMON. Denis was detained just the day after he told the media about his investigation. Can […]
June 29, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will visit Iceland on July 1-4
July 1-4, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will visit Iceland at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson. In addition to the head of the MFA, Tsikhanouskaya will hold meetings with Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, Speaker of the Althing Steingrimur Sigfusson and Rector of the University of Iceland Jon Benediktsson. Icelanders actively support […]
June 25, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the house arrest of Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega
“The fact that Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega are placed under house arrest and are not behind bars is good news. But house arrest is not freedom, they are still under indictment, their every move is still being watched. So they are still held hostage. We are in touch with Raman's parents – they are not […]
June 25, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Speech at the “New Belarus Against Torture” Forum
“Good afternoon. Unfortunately, over the past year, millions of Belarusians have learned what torture is. Belarusians do not need explanations on what a special “pressure cell” in prison is, why chlorine is poured onto the cell floor in prisons, and gas is dispersed into the keyholes of the apartments – as it was done to Aleh Skarga […]
June 24, 2021
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya supported appeal of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation in IOC
Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee with an appeal to deprive Belarusian National State TV and Radio Company of the right to broadcast the Olympic Games. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya supported the Foundation’s initiative by addressing the International Olympic Committee on her official Twitter page. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Summer Olympics begin on July 23. We […]
June 22, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya supported the project of Belarusians “eHealth”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Over the past year, Belarusian doctors have become heroes for the whole nation – and for this, they have themselves fallen under the ice rink of repression. Hundreds of doctors had been dismissed, detained, or forced to flee the country. That was at a time when Belarus was running out of more than 4,000 doctors […]
June 22, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the Belarusian Council of Culture declare the Week of Belarusian Culture on July 5-11
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Dear friends, for 26 years, Belarusian state culture had been in decline. But last year, a wave of creativity showed that our culture is stronger than violence, weapons, and dictatorship. Concerts in courtyards, online performances of Kupalauski theater, poetry evenings. That’s us – Belarusians. Until now, we didn’t have a Day of Belarusian […]
June 22, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – about the possible transfer of political journalists to house arrest: “I called EU ministers not to play this game with the regime”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in an interview with Politico reported that Vladimir Makei may now explore the possibility of transferring detained journalists from prison to house arrest. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I called on EU ministers not to play this game with the regime anymore. Be consistent in your policy, because it is a path to nowhere until all […]
June 22, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya about new sanctions and unprecedented support of Belarusians by democratic peace
The US, Canada, the UK, and the EU have issued a joint statement — they adopted sanctions against the regime. Ukraine has also joined the sanctions. This morning, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the EU foreign ministers, and they assured her of unity on the issue of Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Today the entire democratic world has shown […]
June 21, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Speech at the EU Foreign Affairs Council
“Señor High Representative Josep Borrell, Distinguished Ministers, Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for inviting me to address you ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council. My country is now experiencing a spiral of extreme violence and repression. The dictator has put his boot at the neck of the Belarusian society and it is suffocating. I am […]
June 21, 2021
Outcome of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Luxembourg
Today, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the EU Foreign Affairs Council. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called on Ministers to act decisively and to remain united on the crisis in Belarus. She showed a bullet that had been extracted from the lungs of one activist, who had been rehabilitated in the Czech Republic under the MEDEVAC program, and called for more assistance for the […]
June 21, 2021
The EU Foreign Affairs Council is taking place in Luxembourg right now
In the presence of the Foreign Ministers, the Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrel, thanked Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, assured her of his support, and announced that the EU would be imposing sanctions against the regime today. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for determination and stated that “Belarus unites all Europe”. Prior to the […]
June 21, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held conversations with the heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, Belgium and Slovenia to voice their position before today’s EU Council of Foreign Ministers
The meetings took place in Luxembourg on Sunday evening. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Ministers for their united, clear and strong position on the regime and for the support of all 27 EU countries for the 4th Sanctions Package. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, for failing to recognize Lukashenka […]
June 21, 2021
“We must ensure that all political prisoners are released this year”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya interviewed TUT.BY during a meeting with the diaspora in Luxembourg
“Justice”, “right” – there is no such word already in Belarus, unfortunately. What do I believe? I believe in Siarhei Tsikhanouski. I believe in Nikolai Statkevich. I believe in Igor Losik. I believe in everyone else in this case and others. I believe in their spirit, in their principles. There's no difference now, they’ll be sentenced for […]
June 20, 2021
“The regime systematically creates conditions for strikes”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya made calls with workers and medics
The call with workers Workers said that across the country there are wage cuts, mass repressions, and dismissals of employees of enterprises – that is, the regime itself leads people to strikes. In turn, strike committees, for example, on “Hrodna Azot”, initiate collective labor dispute procedures to defend colleagues and to oppose illegal dismissals. “Workers Movement” collected […]
June 19, 2021
Austrian Foreign Minister assured Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya that all EU countries are united in their positions on Belarus
Today, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and called on EU countries, represented by the minister, to remain united in decisions on Belarus. Next week, the EU plans to adopt sanctions against regime supporters, “wallets” and refineries, potassium fertilizers, and the banking sector. Initially, Ms.Tsikhanouskaya sent a letter to 27 EU Ministries with 31 concrete […]
June 18, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is on an official visit to Belgium and Luxembourg 20-22 June
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya travels to Brussels and Luxembourg, where she will address the EU Foreign Affairs Council at the invitation of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. During the meeting, lists of names and companies that were included in the 4th EU sanctions package will be published. Sectoral sanctions against […]
June 18, 2021
Press briefing of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, June 16
“I will share with you the results of my Office's work in recent days. On Monday, June 14, I addressed the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament, where I spoke about torture in prisons, the attack on TUT.BY and the plane hijacking by the regime. I called on Denmark to support the families of the […]
June 16, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament
On 15 June, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of the United Kingdom at the hearings on Belarus. The parliamentarians asked questions about British actions that could help Belarus and Raman Pratasevich, Russia’s position, and the personal safety of leader of democratic Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya replied: “I have not felt safe since I […]
June 16, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s addressed the Danish Foreign Policy Committee
“Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, I am grateful for the invitation to speak to you on behalf of the Belarusian people about the recent events in my country and the possible ways to overcome the crisis there. First, let me express to you our support after Saturday’s dramatic episode when Denmark's player Christian Eriksen had […]
June 14, 2021
10 main results of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Germany
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has completed a working visit to Berlin. She held meetings with the State Secretary of the Federal Chancellery, the leadership of the Federal Foreign Office, leaders of the main political parties in the Bundestag. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also joined the diaspora activities and attended the premiere of the documentary film “Courage” by Belarusian director Aliaksei Paluyan. German politicians […]
June 14, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Speech at the Greens Digital Party Congress
“Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address you on behalf of Belarusians at this historic moment – the whole world is watching Germany this year. Ms. Baerbock, congratulations on such a significant achievement and now being officially confirmed as a chancellor candidate. This is a very high […]
June 13, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Speech at Europa-Forum Wachau
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya spoke of Pratasevich’s abduction, repression, and torture of political prisoners in Belarus: “The regime has turned our beautiful country into a huge prison camp with almost 500 political prisoners and hundreds more likely to join this list. My fellow Belarusians, struggling with hopelessness and humiliation in jail, take extreme measures: in recent weeks […]
June 12, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discussed with Minister-President Armin Laschet future sanctions and assistance for Belarus
Yesterday, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had a meeting with Armin Laschet, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The meeting took place for about one hour in tête-à-tête format. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and Mr. Laschet spoke of the situation with Raman Pratasevich, the terrorist act of hijacking a plane, and the reaction of the European […]
June 12, 2021
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s opening speech at the press conference before the premiere of the film «Courage» at the Berlin Film Festival
«First of all, I would like to thank the organizers for the invitation. Thank you to Angela Dorne and Lucía Putrik for providing such a platform so that we can speak louder about Belarus. Thanks a lot to Alexey Polyana for his film and Anna Schoppa for supporting the tape. I’m sure “Courage” deserves a […]
June 11, 2021