RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS
On February 12, three political prisoners in Belarus were announced to have been released: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Andrei Kuznechyk, mother of multiple children Alena Maushuk, and an unnamed United States citizen. All of them are now in a safe place. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am deeply grateful to President Trump, State Secretary Rubio, and the US State Department for their joint efforts that made this possible”.
MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE
On February 14-16, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya participated in the Munich Security Conference, a key global forum on international and regional security.
She met with leaders from the European Union, the United States, and other countries, including Ursula von der Leyen, Kaja Kallas, David Lammy, Maia Sandu, and others. Additionally, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya:
- urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to facilitate the release of political prisoners in Belarus;
- met with General Keith Kellogg, who serves in President Trump’s administration as the US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia.;
- held talks with key members of both chambers of the US Congress.
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya raised the issue of Belarus’ role in regional security and negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. She also discussed the release of political prisoners, support for Belarusian civil society and independent media, and cooperation with the democratic forces.
At the conference, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya called on international partners for more decisive action, emphasizing: “A secure and independent Belarus is not only a matter of justice for Belarusians but also a guarantee of stability for the entire region. Without a free Belarus, lasting security in Europe is impossible. This is exactly what we are discussing at the conference”.
VISIT TO BRUSSELS
Before heading to Paris and Munich, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya paid a working visit to Brussels, meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the President of the European Council, António Costa.
Discussions focused on ways to secure the release of political prisoners, cooperation between Belarus’ democratic forces and the EU, support for independent media and civil society, and this year’s sham election.
VISIT TO PARIS
On February 10-11, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Paris for a series of working meetings, where she:
- met with the President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Oliver Röpke, to discuss a possible EESC address, aid for Belarusian initiatives, a cooperation memorandum, internship opportunities for Belarusians at the EESC, and assistance to Belarusian diaspora initiatives in the EU;
- discussed the situation of political prisoners in Belarus with the President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet;
- participated in the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, where she highlighted how the authoritarian regime in Belarus uses AI for surveillance and repression, as well as how democratic activists use technology in their fight for freedom and human rights;
- met with the parliamentary group “For a Democratic Belarus” in the French National Assembly to discuss ways to secure the release of political prisoners, support for independent media and civil initiatives amid the suspension of US financial aid, and cooperation between Belarusian and French experts.
MEETING WITH US DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE
On February 13, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya met in Vilnius with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eastern Europe, Christopher W. Smith, who had traveled to Minsk to negotiate the release of two political prisoners, Alena Maushuk and Andrei Kuznechyk, and a US citizen.
SYSTEMIC CRISIS IN BELARUSIAN SCIENCE
Former employees of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and a group of researchers prepared a report on the work of the NAS, which uncovers a deep crisis in Belarusian science. Over the past decade, key indicators have sharply deteriorated, including the number of scientific publications, the number of patent applications, and positions in international rankings. Read the full report in Russian.
MEDIA
This week, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was interviewed by SBS World News (Australia), TBS TV (Japan), New York Times (International), Klubradio (Hungary), BNR (the Netherlands), and Index on Censorship (International).
