Antanina Kanavalava was a trusted representative of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya during the 2020 presidential election. She was arrested for her civic stance and political activism on September 6, 2020. A month later, the regime also imprisoned her husband, Siarhei Yarashevich. In 2022, Antanina was added to the regime’s list of individuals “involved in terrorist activities”, further worsening her already harsh detention conditions. As a result, her health deteriorated significantly in prison, and she was diagnosed with a third-degree visual disability.
Antanina was released on December 15, 2024, after being pardoned. However, her husband, Siarhei, also recognized as a political prisoner, remains behind bars.
The meeting took place at Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office in Vilnius. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya welcomed Antanina with warm words and flowers, after which they recalled the time when their fight for a free Belarus and fair elections was just beginning. They discussed prison conditions and the rehabilitation process after years of incarceration. Antanina also shared her emotions after release, her adaptation to a new life, and how she is adjusting to her new reality.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Every woman who has endured Belarusian prisons is proof of incredible strength and resilience. Antanina was with me at the very beginning of this journey, and today, I am overjoyed to see her free. Finally, she can hold her children in her arms again. We must both help former prisoners recover and continue fighting for those still behind bars”.
