Today, January 17, during her visit to Geneva, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya joined the Summit for Human Rights and Democracy and delivered a speech. The session also included:
- Hillel Neuer, UN Watch Executive Director;
- Peter MacDougall, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva;
- Baroness Sal Brinton, a member of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament;
- human rights defenders and democracy activists from various countries.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was accompanied by her Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau.
In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the current situation for Belarusians – in prisons, in exile, and in daily life, where repression has long extended beyond courts and prisons.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “There are over 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus. Teachers. Journalists. Students. Pensioners.
I am here to ask you to act. When you leave this hall, you will return to your offices, parliaments, and newsrooms. You have power. Use it. Do not normalize the regime. It has deceived you for the past 30 years. It cannot be trusted.
Demand the unconditional release of all political prisoners. Support Belarusian civil society – independent journalists, human rights defenders, activists in exile and underground. Help the families of those imprisoned. Help the children growing up today without their parents.
Belarusians have shown incredible courage – they have marched peacefully, endured torture, and continue to resist. But courage alone is not enough. We need solidarity. We need you”.
