During her visit to Riga, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya opened the exhibition Art from Behind Bars, organized by the Community of Belarusians in Latvia Supolka and the Viasna Human Rights Center.
In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that art has been the soul of the Belarusian protest and a form of resistance – even in prison. She reminded the audience of those still behind bars:
“This exhibition is a journey into the inner world of people whose only ‘crime’ was dreaming of a free and just Belarus. These works were created in prison cells, under constant surveillance, in the cold or without proper light. These are not just drawings or paintings. They are testimonies. Acts of defiance. And promises – that the people of Belarus will not forget, will not give in, and will not stop until every political prisoner is free”.
