VISIT TO BRUSSELS
On June 11–12, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid a working visit to Brussels, where the 5th meeting of the EU–Belarus Consultative Group took place. In addition to broader topics like the release of political prisoners and regional security, the meeting addressed practical issues faced by Belarusians, including visas, scholarships, legal stay, and support for media and civil society.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also took part in the Brussels Forum 2025, where she delivered a speech emphasizing Belarus’ role in Europe’s future security and calling for support for the country’s democratic forces.
NEW BELARUS CONFERENCE
The New Belarus Conference 2025 will take place in Warsaw on August 9–10. Potential participants are invited to share ideas, concerns, and suggestions via a short anonymous form to make the conference meaningful.
GLOBSEC 2025 IN PRAGUE
During GLOBSEC 2025, held under the patronage of the President of the Czech Republic, a panel discussion titled “Beyond the Fog: Understanding Belarus’s Role in Europe’s Security Future” took place. It emphasized the importance of understanding Belarus despite growing isolation. The Office of Belarus Democratic Forces in Prague joined the event.
SOLIDARITY ACTION FOR BELARUSIAN JOURNALISTS
On June 14, a solidarity bike ride took place in Vilnius in support of journalists imprisoned in Belarus, organized by the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) to mark its 30th anniversary. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, joined the event.
COMMEMORATION OF SOVIET OCCUPATION VICTIMS
On June 14, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a ceremony in the Lithuanian Seimas to commemorate the victims of Soviet occupation and genocide. “Belarusians and Lithuanians share a painful history – and we know that freedom is never free”, she noted.
SUPPORT FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN
On June 15 in Vilnius, a charity football tournament was held to promote social inclusion for underprivileged children. Members of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office also joined the event. The tournament was organized by the embassies of Italy, the UK, Spain, and Denmark in Lithuania, along with the charity “Help the Street Children”.
RESHAPE 2025
This weekend in Warsaw, the Reshape 2025 Conference took place, organized annually by the Center for New Ideas and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Chief Advisor, Franak Viacorka, participated in a panel, calling for preserving the democratic forces’ potential and offering practical solutions despite the deteriorating context.
RESPONSE TO TIKTOK RESTRICTIONS IN BELARUS
TikTok restricted the accounts of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Pavel Latushka, rendering their profiles and videos unavailable for users in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The regime has long sought total censorship. This blocking targets not just a TikTok account – it attacks people’s right to free access to information”.
STATEMENT ON CENSORSHIP
The Lukashenka regime’s Minister of Information, Marat Markau, stated that more than 18,000 information resources have been restricted in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau, responded: “This statement only confirms that the regime has no intention of slowing down its repressive policies and continues to target any expression of free speech”.
LEGAL STAY IN SWEDEN
Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s videographer, Kanstantsin Siarohin, was granted political asylum in Sweden, together with his family. This was made possible thanks to the work of the Legal Team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, the People’s Embassy in Sweden, and Swedish lawyer and human rights advocate Cecilia Ekman.
MEDIA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave interviews this week to Belsat (Belarus), Euronews (International), DW Belarus (text, video, English version), and UnHerd (UK). Zhyttsio-Malina also released an interview with Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski.
