Visit to Poland, ICC referral, OSCE conference. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for September 30 – October 6
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT REFERRAL Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office reported that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has received a referral from Lithuania to launch an investigation into the crimes of the Lukashenka regime committed against Belarusians following the 2020 election. Find answers to the frequently answered questions about the referral at the link. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Pavel […]
October 09, 2024
UN General Assembly, UN Human Rights Council. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for September 23-29
VISIT TO THE USA Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was on a working visit to the United States this week, attending events held in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Chicago, including within the UN General Assembly. She also participated in the events held by the Atlantic Council, Clinton Global Initiative, Concordia, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, CEPA, World […]
September 30, 2024
Release of political prisoners, aid to flood victims, launch of International Humanitarian Fund. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for September 16-22
LAUNCH OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN FUND Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, together with Belarusian human rights defenders, presented the International Humanitarian Fund to support the repressed. The fund, already supported by Sweden and Norway (with contributions totaling €1.5 million), will assist political prisoners and their families, with a focus on those inside the country. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya stressed that the […]
September 23, 2024
Accountability for human rights violations, support for political prisoners, Andrei Hniot’s case, international cooperation. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for September 9-15
ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE LUKASHENKA REGIME Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, along with Lithuania’s Minister of Justice, addressed the opening of the international conference “Accountability for Crimes and Human Rights Violations in Belarus” in Vilnius. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called for gathering evidence of the regime’s crimes, applying universal jurisdiction, and using international court mechanisms to hold the regime accomplices to […]
September 16, 2024
Meetings with Belarusian refugees and former political prisoners, the release of a Belarusian woman in Armenia, and plans for 2025. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for September 2-8
ESCALATION AT THE BELARUSIAN-UKRAINIAN BORDER Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned the regime’s attempts to escalate the situation at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border and the dictator’s statements about the concentration of Belarusian troops in border areas. On September 5, two Russian kamikaze drones, known as “Shahed,” were shot down in Belarus. This is not the first incident; in recent […]
September 12, 2024
Summit of Belarusians of North America, Andrei Hniot’s trial, deportations from Sweden. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for August 26 to September 1, 2024
MEETING WITH MEPs Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with Lithuanian Members of the European Parliament to discuss the strategy ahead of the 2025 election in Belarus, the situation on the Belarusian border with Ukraine, and the deportation of Belarusians from the EU. The parties also discussed support for Belarus on the EU agenda and cooperation between democratic […]
September 03, 2024
Solidarity rallies for Andrei Hniot, statement on Armenia, International Humanitarian Fund, Belarus’ Independence Day. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for August 19-25
SOLIDARITY RALLIES FOR ANDREI HNIOT Belarusian diasporas organized worldwide solidarity actions in support of Andrei Hniot, who faces extradition to Belarus from Serbia. The events took place ahead of the appeal court hearing scheduled for August 27. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office is working on this case and fully supports Andrei Hniot in his fight for freedom. […]
August 26, 2024
Political prisoners release, reviewed restrictions against Belarusian-registered vehicles in Lithuania, Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s birthday. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for August 12-18
RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS This week, the possible release of 30 political prisoners in Belarus was announced. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for efforts to secure the release of all those unjustly imprisoned. 15 more people were released from Belarusian prisons in early July. According to human rights defenders, at least 1,400 political prisoners remain incarcerated. REVIEWED […]
August 20, 2024
Fourth anniversary of 2020 presidential election, response to changes in history teaching and pressure on scientists. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for August 5–11
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN BELARUS On Friday, August 9, rallies were held in different countries to honor the fourth anniversary of protests in Belarus. On this day, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for strengthening the Belarusian community abroad and supporting each other in the fight for democratic change. Later, the national leader of Belarus […]
August 12, 2024
New Belarus Conference. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for July 29 – August 4
NEW BELARUS CONFERENCE The New Belarus Conference 2024, organized by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, took place in Vilnius on August 3-4, gathering over 300 representatives of Belarusian civil society organizations and political bodies, politicians, diplomats, experts, activists, and journalists. More than 100 organizations and initiatives were represented. The conference was watched online by over 70,000 users […]
August 09, 2024
30 years of dictatorship, EU restrictions against Belarusian-registered vehicles. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for July 22-28
DAY OF BELARUSIAN SOVEREIGNTY Belarus adopted its Declaration of State Sovereignty on July 27, 1990. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians on this occasion: “Independence begins with each of us taking responsibility for our future”. EU RESTRICTIONS AGAINST BELARUSIAN-REGISTERED VEHICLES Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office and the United Transitional Cabinet continued consultations with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia regarding […]
July 29, 2024
European Political Community Summit, visit to Poland, restrictions at EU border. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for July 15-21, 2024
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COMMUNITY SUMMIT Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated in the European Political Community Summit held on July 18 in the UK. She was invited by the new UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. During the Summit, the Belarusian leader met with leaders from countries such as Germany, Ukraine, Finland, Italy, Spain, Moldova, Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia, Denmark, the […]
July 22, 2024
Visit to the US, Coordination Council speakers, Tutaka Festival. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for July 8-14, 2024
VISIT TO THE USA From July 9 to 12, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Washington, where she participated in the NATO Public Forum at the invitation of the Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg. During the visit, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe and co-authored an op-ed with Nancy Pelosi for The Washington Post, highlighting tyranny in […]
July 16, 2024
Release of political prisoners, visit to Latvia, Independence Day in Belarus, and Statehood Day in Vilnius. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for July 1-7, 2024
RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS The release of several political prisoners from Belarusian colonies was announced this week, including Ryhor Kastusiou, who has cancer. Most of the 15 released political prisoners were nearing the end of their sentences. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya released a statement calling for seeking freedom for all political prisoners. VISIT TO LATVIA Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya […]
July 08, 2024
Belarus–EU Consultative Group, meeting with Josep Borrell. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for June 24–30
BELARUS–EU CONSULTATIVE GROUP On June 25-26, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was in Brussels, where she participated in the third meeting of the Belarus–EU Consultative Group. The Belarusian side was represented by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, the Coordination Council, the United Transitional Cabinet, NGOs, human rights defenders, and the media. The EU, on the other hand, was represented by […]
July 02, 2024
Meetings with Council of Europe’s Secretary General and Armenian Foreign Minister, meeting with Belarusians in Vilnius. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for June 17-23
COOPERATION WITH COUNCIL OF EUROPE Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, at her office in Vilnius. They discussed the continued work of the Contact Group for Belarus’ civil society, steps towards developing a roadmap for Belarus’ accession to the Council of Europe, and the Information Point […]
June 25, 2024
Working visits to US, NED Democracy Medal, first meeting of new Coordination Council. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for June 10-16
VISIT TO US On 11-14 June, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had a working visit to Washington, DC, during which she met with the ambassadors and diplomats of the G7 countries and called for international support and sanctions pressure on the Lukashenka regime. She also met with the former Speaker of the US House of Representatives and senators, […]
June 17, 2024
Luxembourg Solutions for Belarus, updated Coordination Council. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for June 3-9
VISIT TO LUXEMBOURG On June 5-7, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Luxembourg, where she met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Speaker of the Parliament, spoke at the Luxembourg Solutions conference focusing on resolving the problems faced by Belarusians in exile, including visas, legalization of stay, and support for national identity. The […]
June 10, 2024
Results of Coordination Council election, anniversary of Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s arrest, visit to Portugal. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for May 27-June 2
RESULTS OF THE COORDINATION COUNCIL ELECTION The Coordinating Council election was held on May 25-27. 80 delegates have been elected from 8 political groups and initiatives, including politicians, activists, and representatives of civil society and the media. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked all those who took part in the election despite the pressure and repression from the […]
June 04, 2024
Visit to Sweden, New Belarus Conference, Congress on Political Prisoners in Prague. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for May 20-26, 2024
VISIT TO SWEDEN At the beginning of the week, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid a working visit to Sweden. On May 20, the Belarusian leader met with the Prime Minister and the Minister for European Affairs of Sweden. During the meeting, the parties discussed support for Belarusian civil society and independent media, aid to political prisoners as […]
May 28, 2024
Speech before EU culture ministers, meeting with Belarusians in Poznań, Signal in Belarusian. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for May 13-19, 2024
CONFERENCE OF DEMOCRATIC FORCES IN WARSAW On May 19, the democratic forces held a conference in Warsaw, during which candidates for the Coordination Council presented their programs. Among the candidates are representatives of youth initiatives, NGOs, Belarusian volunteer fighters in Ukraine, bloggers, and politicians. The Coordination Council is a representative body of the democratic forces […]
May 20, 2024
Meetings in NATO, Victory Day, three scenarios for Belarus and region. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for May 6-12, 2024
MEETING WITH NATO OFFICIALS Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met for the first time with the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. Additionally, within the framework of the North Atlantic Council, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a briefing for the permanent representatives of all NATO member countries. In total, the discussions lasted more than 4 hours. The dialogue on the political […]
May 13, 2024
Cooperation agreement between European Parliament and democratic forces, support fund for political prisoners. Updates Summary of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for April 29 – May 5, 2024
COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND DEMOCRATIC FORCES This week, during her working visit to Malta, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. They signed the Letter of Intent on Cooperation between the European Parliament and the Belarusian Democratic Forces. This is the first time the European Parliament has signed […]
May 06, 2024
Lithuanian Seimas against new restrictions on Belarusians, Chornobyl anniversary. Updates of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for April 22-28, 2024
LITHUANIAN SEIMAS DID NOT SUPPORT NEW RESTRICTIONS AGAINST BELARUSIANS The Seimas of Lithuania did not support new restrictions against Belarusians holding residence permits in Lithuania. The proposals included restrictions on travel to Belarus and allowed the migration authority to revoke the residence permits of Belarusians who frequently cross the border. Over the past few weeks, […]
April 29, 2024
Visits to Cyprus and Greece, reaction to potential restrictions against Belarusians in Lithuania. Summary of work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for April 8-14, 2024
On April 10, Belarusian political prisoner Aliaksandr Kulinich was reported to have died in prison. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya released a statement: “Every person in custody has the right to proper care and health protection. Obviously, this had not been provided to Aliaksandr. I express my deepest condolences to Aliaksandr’s relatives and loved ones. People are dying […]
April 14, 2024
Strengthening accountability for human rights violations in Belarus, handing over drones to Kastus Kalinouski Regiment. Results of the work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for April 1-7, 2024
REGIME ACCOUNTABILITY. During its 55th session, the UN Human Rights Council adopted an important resolution aimed at strengthening accountability mechanisms for human rights violations in Belarus. The document establishes a special group consisting of three independent experts and extends the mandate of the special rapporteur on Belarus for one year. These measures are intended to […]
April 08, 2024
Freedom Day, visit to Czechia, Belarusian-language education in Vilnius. Results of the work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for March 25-31, 2024
FREEDOM DAY. On March 25, Belarusians celebrated Freedom Day all around the world. On this occasion, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Belarusian people: “All these years made us appreciate our Belarusian solidarity. As long as we stand together and do not give up, we keep moving step by step towards our victory”. Later, the Belarusian leader […]
April 01, 2024
3rd Conference of Belarusian Diaspora, Belarus Day at European Parliament, Kalinowski Conference. Results of the work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for March 18-24, 2024
On March 22, a terrorist attack took place outside Moscow. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on the event and urged Belarusians to take care of their safety, avoid crowds of people, and assess the situation in the country. CONFERENCE OF BELARUSIAN DIASPORA. On March 23-24, the Third Conference of the Belarusian Diaspora took place in Prague, organized […]
March 25, 2024
628 postcards for political prisoners from MEPs, meeting with Bi-2 band, conference in Lithuanian Seimas. Results of the work of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office for March 11-17, 2024
SOLIDARITY WITH POLITICAL PRISONERS. On March 11-14, the European Parliament held a campaign of solidarity with political prisoners in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor for Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatoli Liabedzka, attended one of the events within the framework of the campaign. As the politician said, as part of the #EPSTANDSBYYOU initiative, members of the […]
March 17, 2024