FREEDOM DAY
On March 25, Belarusians will celebrate Freedom Day, one of the most important national holidays. A key event ahead of the celebration was the march in Warsaw, held on Sunday. Another march in Vilnius is scheduled for Tuesday. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya invited Belarusians to join the celebrations – an opportunity to honor their history, connect, and share warmth and support on this important day.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office compiled a full list of events for Freedom Day 2025.
VISIT TO BRUSSELS
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Brussels to take part in a meeting of EU ministers for European affairs. The parties discussed increased aid for Belarusian media, support for the repressed, expanded visa issuance, and easier residence legalization for Belarusians in the EU.
View photos of the visit on Flickr.
VISIT TO LONDON
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, and Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau, visited London. They met in the UK Parliament with Shadow Minister Wendy Morton and Labour representative Lord George Foulkes, announcing the formation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group “For Freedom and Democracy in Belarus”. During the visit, Strategic Consultations were held between the UK government and Belarus’ democratic forces.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke with the UK Minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty, discussing deeper cooperation between the UK and Belarus’ democratic forces.
RESPONSE TO LUKASHENKA’S “INAUGURATION”
Belarus’ Central Election Commission announced that Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s “inauguration” will take place on March 25 – Belarus Freedom Day. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya released a statement: “The real inauguration will take place when Belarusians themselves, through free elections, decide who will represent the country. Our choice is not dictated by the regime’s theatrical performances. Because no decree can appoint or abolish the people’s will”.
MEETING AT THE LITHUANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICE
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, met with the leadership of Lithuania’s Working Group on Combating Xenophobia to discuss pressing issues faced by the Belarusian community. He presented proposals on residence legalization, integration, and countering propaganda. The Lithuanian side expressed readiness for continued cooperation and support for Belarusians.
REACTION TO THE PROPAGANDA FILM
Stanislau Brykin, a citizen of Belarus, took his own life in a refugee shelter in Lithuania after a propaganda movie involving his family. The footage for the movie was obtained through deception. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya responded to the situation: “Exploiting vulnerable people who trusted acquaintances or ‘journalists’ in hopes of receiving help and turning their stories into a propaganda tool is yet another proof that the regime has no regard for human lives. It’s hard to imagine what the people in this film felt when they saw that their words, recorded under the pretense of assistance, ended up broadcast on state television”.
58TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
The UN Human Rights Council highlighted the situation in Belarus as a matter requiring its attention yet again. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Belarus presented its latest report, revealing new evidence of crimes against humanity.
BELARUSIAN VOLUNTEER FIGHTERS IN CAPTIVITY
On June 26, 2022, Belarusian fighters of the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment were ambushed near Lysychansk. Their commander, Ivan ‘Brest’ Marchuk, was killed. Several soldiers went missing, and two were taken prisoner by Russian forces. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians regarding the situation: “It’s been 1,000 days – an endless time in captivity. That is how long our volunteers, Yan Dziurbeika and Siarhei Dziohtsieu, have been held as Russian prisoners. We are constantly advocating for the inclusion of Belarusian volunteers in prisoner exchange lists through Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Verkhovna Rada. I sincerely hope they will soon have a chance to return home”.
MEETING WITH ANTANINA KANAVALAVA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with former political prisoner Antanina Kanavalava, who was a trusted representative of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya during the 2020 presidential election. She was arrested for her civic stance and political activism after the election and was released in late 2024. Her husband, Siarhei Yarashevich, remains behind bars.
REPRESSION AGAINST JOURNALISTS
The Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform released its annual Europe Press Freedom Report, highlighting that Belarus has the highest number of imprisoned journalists on the continent. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya issued a statement: “When journalists are imprisoned for their work, society loses its voice. Freedom of speech is a fundamental value that we must protect together”.
SITUATION AROUND RFE/RL
On March 14, 2025, the US government signed an order ending federal funding for the US Agency for Global Media, which includes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed both Belarusian and international audiences in a video, emphasizing the crucial role of RFE/RL’s Radyio Svaboda for Belarusian society.
SUPPORT FOR BELARUSIAN INITIATIVES
In Poland and Lithuania, taxpayers can allocate a percentage of their paid taxes to support Belarusian initiatives and independent media operating in exile. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office compiled a list of initiatives that can receive this support.
MEDIA
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s interviews and coverage of Belarus were released this week by Euronews (International), NOVINY (Slovakia), Euronews (International), BNT (Bulgaria), Puterea (Romania), Adevarul (Romania), Lidovky (Czechia), Agora (Moldova), and Cuej.info (France).
