Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “April 11, 2011. A date that echoes with fear and pain in the hearts of every Belarusian. Fourteen years ago, an explosion rocked one of the busiest metro stations in Minsk during rush hour. Fifteen people were killed, hundreds were injured, many of them seriously.
We never learned the truth about what really happened. The authorities denied us the chance to understand who was responsible, acting with secrecy and haste during the investigation, and denying victims’ families the right to a fair inquiry.
A regime that hides the truth, executes people without transparent trials, and uses death as a tool of control cannot guarantee safety for its citizens. That is state terror. Life is the fundamental and undeniable value of every human being.
This tragedy is not just about the past. It speaks to what we are still experiencing today. The regime continues to deprive people of the most essential thing – life. They want us to forget. They want horror to become routine. They want tragedies to fade, like old photographs.
Over the past 30 years, about 350 people have been executed in Belarus. Not long ago, the death penalty seemed distant — something unthinkable for the average person. But under Lukashenka, the definitions of “terrorism” and “extremism” have been radically expanded. Today, you can be labeled a terrorist simply for criticizing the regime, making a donation, or posting a comment online. The state has effectively given itself the legal right to decide who deserves to live – and who does not.
Each of us can take a step to ensure these crimes are not forgotten as mere pages in history. Support political prisoners. Support the ones who have been released and continue to fight. Remind the world that we have the right to be heard, even in the smallest things. Speak up when the authorities stay silent. Demand accountability. Refuse to settle for less.
Because only when we start doing this together – step by step, action by action – can we dismantle this regime. And bring back to Belarus what matters most – truth, justice, and the value of human life”.
