The release of political prisoners is a priority for the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. We work every day with international partners, diplomats, and human rights organizations to secure freedom for everyone who has been deprived of it on political grounds.
Today, human rights defenders are aware of thousands of people who have faced politically motivated prosecution since 2020. Behind every one of these numbers is someone’s son, wife, or close friend. But we also know that there are people whose persecution is known to no one except their families.
We can understand their loved ones: in almost every case, silence comes from a desire to protect them and the fear of making things worse. It may seem that staying silent is safer. Unfortunately, after all these years, it has become clear that being invisible does not protect anyone. For people to speak about someone’s release, for that person’s freedom to become a matter of diplomacy, others need to know about them.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau: “I have often had to explain one simple thing to relatives: it is impossible to demand the release of someone whose name we don’t know. The lists used by diplomats and international organizations consist not of numbers but of names. Every appeal from a family is another name that someone can stand up for”.
When discussions about a person’s release begin, diplomats and negotiators rely on documented cases. If someone’s case has not been reported, that person simply isn’t on these lists. There is no one to speak up for them.
How can you share information safely?
- If your relative, friend, or acquaintance is behind bars for political reasons, contact the Viasna Human Rights Center: @ViasnaSOS, @Viasnainfo.
- If you are afraid to write from inside the country, share the information through someone you know abroad. Many people do this — it is normal and safer.
