Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Today is a day of remembrance and pain that has lived in our hearts for 15 years.
We remember those who were killed in Minsk 15 years ago. Fifteen people. Ordinary individuals who were simply on their way home, hurrying to their loved ones, living their everyday lives, making plans. Their lives were brutally cut short in a single moment. More than 400 were injured. No words can convey the horror experienced by hundreds of families and the whole of Belarus.
This day is a deeply personal pain for many Belarusians. A day of losing loved ones, a day of concern for the injured, a day of unity in helping those affected. Do you remember how people gave rides to the injured, provided medical assistance, and searched for relatives in hospitals? Even in the most difficult moments, Belarusians did not stand aside — they stood together and helped one another. This is a memory that stays with us.
But memory also means responsibility. Responsibility to those who are no longer with us and to those who are alive today. That is why the truth about this tragedy also matters. When questions remain in society years later, only a full, independent, and transparent investigation — one that people can trust — can provide answers.
The safety of people is the foundation on which any society stands”.
