Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Raman Bandarenka died four years ago – and I clearly remember that day. The horror and outrage over this tragedy resonated in the hearts of every Belarusian. Raman’s murder is not a sorrow borne by one family; it is a shared pain that we all carry within us.
What happened that night, sadly, is not an isolated crime. People have vanished without a trace in Belarus for decades as the regime took revenge on them. In the 1990s, it eliminated politicians, military officers, activists, and journalists brave enough to speak the truth. They took their lives simply because they dared to challenge the dictatorship and stand up to Lukashenka. Sadly, the regime and its accomplices still essentially rely on violence to retain power.
Every day, we witness new arrests and political persecution and hear harrowing stories of imprisonment and torture. Repression never stopped; it has become a terrifying part of daily life, continuing to rob the freedom and lives of those who dare to defend their beliefs. Every political prisoner, every victim of the regime, represents a shattered family, grieving parents, spouses, and children. In the past four years alone, the regime has killed or tortured to death at least 18 people.
We cannot forget the people who have died because of the regime’s persecution. This memory is not only about the past but also a reminder that these crimes persist. We must seek justice and do everything possible to prevent such tragedies from happening again”.
