Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Five years ago, Raman Bandarenka was killed. A man who stepped into his own courtyard to defend what he loved. He wanted his yard to remain a place of kindness and peace.
I remember November 12, 2020. It was hard to find the right words then. I didn’t know what to say… and I still don’t. Many of us were simply silent from pain, from confusion, from the feeling that something was happening that should never happen. Perhaps there are no right words at all when such a terrible tragedy takes place.
Raman died at the hands of those who feared – and still fear – the truth. The truth about how this tragedy happened. The truth about why this crime was never investigated. The truth about who killed Raman Bandarenka and why those responsible have never been punished.
Today, we warmly remember his courage and his simple human right to be free. His words “I’m going out” have become a symbol for the entire Belarusian nation.
Today is a day of sorrow. But we remember all who have suffered from violence and impunity, and we insist that justice will come. Belarus will become a country where you can step into your own courtyard and feel only peace, respect, and safety – where ‘just living’ will no longer be dangerous to life”.
