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, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, as well as the National Security Advisors to the President, and the Vice President. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed support for and release of political prisoners, called for sanctions against the regime and increased aid to independent media, and urged the US Congress to adopt the new Belarus Democracy Act. During the visit, the US introduced new sanctions against the defense industry of Belarus. Belarus was also discussed at the G7 Summit and mentioned in the final communiqué.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at a hearing of the Helsinki Commission in the US Congress, where she called for more efforts to achieve the release of political prisoners and mentioned the cases of Andrei Hniot, Mikalai Statkevich, Ihar Losik, and others. On June 14, she received the NED Democracy Medal for Democracy Service for her outstanding contribution to freedom and democracy.
During her visit to the USA, the national leader also met with the Belarusian diaspora in Washington and thanked them for their active work and participation in the Coordination Council election.
EXTRADITION OF ANDREI HNIOT
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office continues its efforts to prevent the extradition of Belarusian filmmaker Andrei Hniot, who was previously detained in Serbia. The Belgrade Higher Court has authorized his extradition to Belarus, where he faces a prison sentence for his civic activism. Hniot’s lawyers have already filed an appeal and will help him appeal the Serbian court’s decision to the European Court of Human Rights. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s team has sent letters to the European Commission and EU member state diplomats. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the international community to prevent Hniot’s extradition and grant him asylum in a Schengen country.
COORDINATION COUNCIL’S FIRST MEETING
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayaya launched the first general meeting of the Coordination Council of the second and third convocations. 80 delegates from 8 electoral lists have been elected to the Coordination Council. She emphasized the importance of democratic work, international cooperation, and support for political prisoners. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also called for the consolidation of democratic forces and active participation in future initiatives to secure freedom and democracy in Belarus.
INTERNSHIPS FOR YOUTH
On June 13, 30 youth leaders and activists met with the Marshal of the Senate of Poland, Małgorzata Maria Kidawa-Błońska. Young Belarusians thanked her for the support of free European Belarus, as well as for the opportunity to study and self-realize in Poland. They discussed the problems faced by Belarusians in Poland and agreed to organize internships for Belarusan youth in the Polish parliament.
NEW BELARUS CONFERENCE
On August 3-4, Vilnius will host the New Belarus Conference 2024, which will gather Belarusian democratic forces, activists, public and cultural initiatives, and the diaspora on one platform to discuss strategic priorities for 2025. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the importance of solidarity and the need for joint efforts to address the challenges facing the Belarusian democratic community. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskayaia’s Office announced registration for the conference.
KEY POLITICAL MEETINGS OF RECENT MONTHS
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Diplomatic Advisor, Dzianis Kuchynski, summarized the meetings and events Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held and attended in spring. Some of the meetings became unprecedented for modern Belarusian politics.
AID TO JOURNALISTS
On June 10, the Estonian Embassy in Vilnius, in partnership with the Embassy of Canada, hosted the presentation of the support program for Belarusian journalists announced during Ms. Tsikhanouskaya’s visit to Canada. The program is aimed at supporting media teams and content creation.
SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL IDENTITY
On June 13, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Chief Advisor, Franak Viacorka, spoke at the Prague European Summit on the de-Russification of Belarus. He addressed Russia’s attempts to destroy Belarusian national identity and the democratic forces’ efforts to strengthen it. He called for more programs to support independent Belarusian culture and mass media.
MEDIA
During her visit to the US, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave an interview to Voice of America (International), where she talked about nuclear blackmail by dictators. She also commented on the adoption of the foreign agents law by the Georgian Parliament to the Georgian service of Voice of America (International) and gave interviews to One Decision, BBC (International), Express (UK), and Magazín Reportér (Czech Republic).
