During her visit to London, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the UK’s Minister of State for Europe, Stephen Doughty.
She thanked the United Kingdom for its firm and consistent support for democratic Belarus and the country’s political prisoners and civil society. She particularly noted the UK’s leadership in supporting Ukraine and expressed hope that London would continue to play an equally active role in supporting Belarus’s democratic community, particularly independent media.
The parties discussed the regional security situation, the outcomes of Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Kyiv and her meeting with President Zelenskyy, as well as threats posed by the regime, including nuclear blackmail.
Minister Doughty and Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed further steps toward securing the release of political prisoners in Belarus. The Belarusian leader called for maintaining and strengthening pressure on the Lukashenka regime and using international mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable. She called on the United Kingdom to support efforts to investigate the regime’s crimes through the International Criminal Court, including cases initiated by Lithuania.
Another topic was the International Humanitarian Fund that supports aid initiatives for political prisoners in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted that Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg, Iceland, Spain, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia have already joined the IHF and expressed hope that the United Kingdom would also become a contributor to support released political prisoners and their rehabilitation.
The parties discussed the Strategic Consultations between the United Kingdom and the democratic forces of Belarus, launched in 2025. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya proposed elevating this mechanism to a higher political level.
The meeting also addressed issues affecting Belarusians living in the United Kingdom and the challenges of transnational repression. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya encouraged the UK to consider practical solutions that have already been implemented in other European countries.
