On November 6, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received the Timișoara Award for European Values in recognition of her peaceful struggle against dictatorship and her defense of freedom and human dignity. She dedicated the award to Belarusians who continue to fight for freedom.
The award was established in 2024 at the initiative of the Timișoara authorities. It recognizes international figures who defend European values. Its first recipients were Moldovan President Maia Sandu and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
This year, the independent jury unanimously selected Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, recognizing her courage and unwavering commitment to defending Belarusians’ right to determine their own future.
The location of the ceremony carries special significance. It was in Timișoara that the Romanian Revolution began in December 1989, ultimately leading to the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Solidarity is the European value that dictators fear most.
Dictators can arrest people. They can silence journalists. They can shut down organizations. But they cannot defeat a society in which people refuse to abandon one another in times of need. Six years after our uprising, this solidarity is what keeps our movement alive.
I accept this award not just for myself. I accept it on behalf of millions of Belarusians who continue to defend freedom. On behalf of the women who stood peacefully in front of armed security forces. The journalists who continue to tell the truth despite persecution. The volunteers who support political prisoners and their families. The artists and teachers who defend our language and culture. And those who are still behind bars”.
