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Pavel Latushka: Will Lukashenko come to Poland?

Currently, the National Prosecutor's Office of Poland is conducting criminal proceedings against Alexander Lukashenko and officials under his command for crimes committed against national and political groups, as well as other individuals.

The National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM) is actively working to thoroughly investigate the crimes committed by Lukashenko and his accomplices against Belarusian and foreign citizens. We are providing relevant materials to the Prosecutor's Office of Poland, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine.

In line with the agreements reached in November 2023, Marcin Wiącek, the Commissioner for Civil Rights of Poland, has updated Pavel Latushka, the head of the National Anti-Crisis Management (NAM), on the progress in reviewing the applications submitted by Belarusians regarding the crimes committed against them.

In his letter to the NAM, the Ombudsman of Poland mentioned that the Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor's Office of Poland in Lublin is currently examining the following cases:

• The crimes against humanity committed by Alexander Lukashenko and other identified officials of the Republic of Belarus, against both Belarusian and foreign citizens, including multiple instances of murder, serious manslaughter, infliction of serious bodily and mental harm, and the deliberate creation of living conditions with the aim of physically destroying, either completely or partially, a national or political group. These acts were carried out by an organized armed criminal group, which included Alexander Lukashenko and other named officials, as part of a state policy that constitutes political terrorism supported by state terrorism.

• The hijacking of a Polish aircraft, involving the illegal act of forcing Ryanair flight FR4978 to land on June 21, 2021, at Minsk airport in the Republic of Belarus. This action, carried out by officers of the Belarusian KGB following the orders of Alexander Lukashenko and other individuals, posed a direct threat to the lives and health of many people, causing harm to both private interests and the interests of the Republic of Poland.

• The trafficking of persons, exploiting citizens of Iraq and other nationalities, involving the recruitment, transportation, delivery, transfer, harboring, or reception of individuals from outside the territory of Belarus for a fee, with the purpose of forcing them to illegally cross the border of Belarus with European Union countries (Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland). This was committed by Alexander Lukashenko as the leading executive using the state administration subordinate to him, along with Belarusian travel agencies acting on behalf of the state administration.

• Instances of violence and threats against groups and individuals based on their national and political affiliation, particularly those associated with the democratic white-red-white national symbols of Belarus. These acts, carried out by Alexander Lukashenko and other identified officials, involved the use of illegal and punitive threats through media information, internet portals, and messengers, indicating the potential commission of crimes against the health and lives of threatened individuals and their families.

A joint investigation team, consisting of Poland, Lithuania, and Germany, has been established to investigate these crimes. The investigation is being conducted based on a decision by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Poland for Organized Crime and Corruption.

Marcin Wiącek assured Pavel Latushka that he will continue to monitor the progress of the investigation to ensure the respect for rights and civil liberties.

Pavel Latushka, head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, commented on the prospects of legal prosecution, stating, "The continued work of the Polish prosecutor's office on the possible involvement of Lukashenko and his accomplices in committing crimes against citizens of Belarus and other countries is crucial to achieving justice for the grave and especially grave crimes committed by the regime in Belarus. We have provided evidence and given testimony in all of the aforementioned cases. We will continue to take all possible actions to ensure the legal prosecution of Lukashenko, including through five international mechanisms such as transferring the situation in Belarus to the ICC for consideration of crimes against humanity, as well as for the war crime of illegally transferring Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Belarus, committed by Alexander Lukashenko and his accomplices. I believe that Lukashenko can only come to Poland in handcuffs."

Source: NAM

Two years ago, the regime cracked down on activists from independent trade unions. Nearly twenty people remain imprisoned on trumped-up charges. The regime ruthlessly targeted its opponents, yet again demonstrating that it would rather silence the voices of Belarusians than listen to them.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Two years ago, the regime ruthlessly targeted activists from independent trade unions. Nearly two dozen people, including Aliaksandr Yarashuk and Siarhei Antusevich, were detained on trumped-up charges and thrown behind bars. Thus, Lukashenka not only disposed of dissenting leaders but effectively destroyed the movement itself. Over the past 4 years, the regime in Belarus has destroyed more than 1600 non-profit organizations that worked across various fields – sports, culture, and education, among others. However, care for the people is the regime’s last concern. Because its representatives would rather stifle voices of criticism than listen to fair remarks, making people’s lives a bit more comfortable or simpler.

State propaganda likes to call Belarus’ policies socially oriented. But the rights to work and social protection are no longer a thing there. They are replaced by obligations to pay trade union dues and attend propaganda meetings, where all the problems of Belarusians are blamed on the West and America. People expressing outrage and pointing out that a socially oriented government should care about the health of workers or cover expenses for the treatment and rest of children can end up receiving a prison sentence. For what? For inciting social hatred, as in the case of trade union activists Vatslau Areshka and Vasil Berasneu, who were sentenced to almost ten years in prison each. Although if there was any hatred in their words, it was only towards the government’s lack of care for the people…

Today, the regime claims to have revived the trade union movement. But instead of trade unions, workers’ rights are now “defended” by ideologists – and all they “do” is organize unpaid clean-up events and film pro-government videos.

But trade unions are not about forcing workers to participate in events to demonstrate public interest. They are about defending rights and freedoms. About giving people the opportunity to stand up for themselves and demand decent wages and respectful treatment in any situation. About compliance with modern labor standards. I am confident that Belarusians are well aware of this and know what they want – for their opinions to be heard. For their interests to be protected – not the interests of the people willing to exploit others, intimidating them with violence and prison terms”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

This year’s G7 ministers’ meeting was the first to have Belarus and its interests represented. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya drew the attention of world leaders such as Antony Blinken, Annalena Baerbock, David Cameron, Stéphane Séjourné, Mélanie Joly, Josep Borrell, and Antonio Tajani to the humanitarian crisis in Belarus and its creeping occupation by Russia. The leader also called on the participants to find ways to achieve the release of political prisoners and provide rehabilitation.

After the event, the Belarusian leader recorded an exclusive video address. In it, she shares the results of the G7 event.

Here are some highlights of the address:

📌 “During the meetings, I called on the ministers to continue supporting our civil society and media and spoke about political prisoners. I stressed that our people are dying in prisons. We talked about holding the regime accountable – not only for the war against Ukraine but also for repression against Belarusians”.

📌 “An important decision might be made about assistance to Ukraine in the coming days – and I hope it will be adopted. Because the fates of our countries are intertwined”.

📌 “I am grateful to all Belarusians who continue to fight for change in our country. Be sure that the free world supports us. And I will do everything I can to keep the issue of Belarus on the international agenda”.

The full address in Belarusian is available below.

https://youtu.be/LrWloBYweCA

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Uladzimir Astapenka, Deputy Head of NAM, recounted the establishment of the Belarusian Embassy in Belgium in 1995.

During that time, in March 1995, Lukashenko himself attended the opening, marking his first and only official visit to Brussels. He engaged in meetings with Belgian leadership and the European Union, signing a partnership and cooperation agreement. However, this agreement never came into effect as its ratification was halted after the unconstitutional referendum of 1996.

Prior to the opening, an ambassador was appointed to Brussels, commencing their work essentially from scratch. Initially, they rented an apartment in a high-rise building, where their efforts began. Later, a separate house was found, which was eventually purchased and renovated to suit the needs of the embassy. As Minister-Counselor of the Belarusian Embassy in Belgium, I actively participated in the process. For the embassy's inauguration, they commissioned a large edition of a splendid postcard, featuring an artist's impressionist depiction of the embassy building with our national flag proudly displayed. And I still have a picture before my eyes - an old building with a white-red-white flag.

After the infamous 1995 referendum, where Lukashenko changed our national symbols to the red and green palette of the BSSR era, instructions were issued to replace the flags. However, the embassy hesitated to immediately remove the white-red-white flag, which continued to adorn the building for a significant period.

Today, in Brussels, there is a representation of the Belarusian society - of the majority, who took to the streets in 2020 under thousands of white-red-white flags to protest against dictatorship and violence. Our national flag proudly flies at the Mission of Democratic Belarus in Brussels. 

This institution's vital work serves as a crucial stepping stone towards the day when national flags will flutter over Belarusian embassies worldwide, unyieldingly standing as a symbol that cannot be taken down.

Source: NAM

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Senior Political Advisor, Alexander Dabravolski, and Advisor on Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, met with the Director of Political Affairs and External Relations of the Council of Europe, Miroslav Papa.

The meeting was held on the occasion of the launch of the Information Point on the Council of Europe for Belarus in Vilnius. Such information points raise awareness about the CoE activities, including about conventions signed by member states that serve as guidelines for many countries’ policies. Essentially, belonging to the Council of Europe means belonging to the family of civilized states and is an important step towards Belarus’ European future.

A similar institution previously existed in Minsk at the Belarusian State University, though most people could not access it because of the university’s security arrangements. Its activities were limited due to the lack of interest from the Belarusian authorities in expanding cooperation with the Council of Europe.

Therefore, the information point in Vilnius will focus on reaching out to ordinary people. This will help Belarusians understand how such large structures actually work. This initiative will serve as an example of an organization that is open, honest, and accountable.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Senior Political Advisor, Alexander Dabravolski, notes that this is the first and clear step towards promoting the European perspective for Belarus:

“Information centers, besides raising awareness, participate in Council of Europe campaigns and organize events for experts, politicians, and civil society. The launch of this point in Vilnius will be a very important step to set our country on the path towards the community of civilized states”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

During her trip to Canada, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a series of meetings with key politicians of the country, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, as well as the speakers of both chambers of Parliament and opposition leaders.

As a result of the meetings, the following agreements were achieved:

⚪️ Launch of strategic bilateral consultations with the democratic forces of Belarus, similar to the Belarus–USA Strategic Dialogue and focusing on the following main areas:

📌 pressure on the regime;

📌 defending human rights;

📌 media;

📌 countering disinformation.

Cooperation is also possible in the fifth area – covering culture, national identity, and the diaspora.

🔴 New restrictions against the Lukashenka regime. The list includes individuals associated with crimes and repression against Belarusians and will be regularly updated.

⚪️ Allocation of 1 million Canadian dollars to support independent Belarusian media, as well as projects to counter propaganda and disinformation.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “I am truly grateful to Canada for its solidarity with Belarus and the democratic forces. Our cooperation sends a signal to all Belarusians that we are not alone on our path to change and can count on the diverse support of our partners”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

It is crucial to address the issue of double discrimination against Belarusian independent athletes, according to the stance of the National Anti-Crisis Management regarding the participation of Belarusians in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

Presently, Belarusian free athletes face dual discrimination due to inconsistent policies within the international sports community. On one hand, they are discriminated against by the Lukashenko regime for their opposition to violence and war, resulting in their exclusion from national teams, terminations, blacklisting, detentions, or even being compelled to leave Belarus. On the other hand, Belarusian independent athletes are excluded from international sports by the federations themselves due to the aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine with the support of the Lukashenko regime.

Since 2020, the Lukashenko regime has carried out unprecedented repression against athletes. Over 136 Belarusian sports representatives have been unlawfully targeted for their civic activities, leading to terminations, detentions, and blacklisting. Currently, more than 20 Belarusian athletes and sports professionals are officially recognized as political prisoners. SOS.BY has been labeled as an extremist organization by the Belarusian KGB. Athletes who have spoken out against the war have been subjected to a separate wave of repression.

On December 8, 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to allow athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris under strict conditions. One of the conditions introduced is that athletes and service personnel with contracts with the Russian or Belarusian military or law enforcement agencies will not be granted participation in the competitions.

However, the IOC's position was only advisory for international federations. As a result, the specialized federations have the final say on admitting Belarusian athletes to the qualifying competitions. Due to the varying approaches taken by international federations, Belarusian sports find themselves in a situation where independent athletes have been excluded from participating in competitions, while athletes affiliated with the Lukashenko regime have been admitted to the 2024 Olympic Games.

The NAM team has prepared justifications and submitted requests to the IOC and relevant international federations to conduct thorough verification of at least four athletes from the Lukashenko regime who have qualified for the Olympic Games and are associated with military and security forces. We have been in contact with representatives from the International Athletics Federation, the International Swimming Federation, the International Federation of Greco-Roman Wrestling, Freestyle Wrestling, and Women's Wrestling, as well as the national federations of Poland for tennis, football, athletics, and judo. We have also engaged with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Sports of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, France, the United States, and Norway. Additionally, specific efforts are being made within the framework of the Commission of the Ministry of Sports of Poland regarding the admission of athletes with Belarusian and Russian passports.

The National Anti-Crisis Management will continue to collaborate with partner countries, federations, and the IOC to bring about change regarding Belarusian athletes. We express our gratitude to the athletes who contribute to our efforts and provide information for subsequent verification, as well as those who assist in addressing the issue of double discrimination against Belarusian athletes. We extend special thanks to the journalists, including the editorial team of Tribuna, for providing documents that confirm the athletes' affiliation with the military and security forces of the Lukashenko regime.

Photo: tribuna.com 

Source: NAM

On April 11-12, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was in Greece on a working visit, where she participated in the Delphi Economic Forum and held a series of meetings with key politicians of the country.

With the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the Belarusian leader discussed the current situation in Belarus and the region – and stressed the importance of holding the regime accountable, in particular for the hijacking of the Ryanair plane, the forced displacement of Ukrainian children from occupied territories, and crimes against humanity. The parties also talked about the legalization of stay problems faced by Belarusians in Greece and rehabilitation programs for children of repressed Belarusians.

With the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya talked about supporting the Belarusian diaspora activities in the city and cultural diplomacy initiatives like residences for Belarusian artists and internships for the Personnel Reserve, helping honest Belarusian businesses, as well as organizing exhibitions and Belarusian-Greek events.

With former Prime Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited a number of historical sites in Athens, where Mr. Papandreou spoke about the traditions of Greek parliamentarism. It is worth noting that Mr. Papandreou’s great-grandfather, Zygmunt Mineyko, was born in Belarus and actively participated in the Kastus Kalinouski Uprising. The Belarusian leader brought archival materials about this remarkable person, including information about his line of descent, photographs of ancestors, as well as documents about the property and lands of the Mineykos in Belarus. 

At the end of the meeting, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya invited Mr. Papandreou to Vilnius to visit the graves of his relatives and presented him with a book of memoirs “Z Taihi pad Akropole” (“From the Taiga to the Acropolis”) in the Belarusian language.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

On April 9, 2024, Aliaksandr Kulinich died in the Brest pre-trial detention center, Lusterka reports. He was accused under Article 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting Lukashenka). The man was detained on February 29 in Brest, since then he had been in custody. His trial was scheduled to take place on April 16.

According to the sources of the publication, Aliaksandr Kulinich died due to coronary heart disease: this reason is indicated in the death certificate. In pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Brest, journalists were told that there was a prisoner with that name, but refused to confirm the fact of death. The circumstances of Aliaksandr Kulinich's detention are unknown. 

According to Lusterka, Aliaksandr Kulinich was born in Maladzečna on April 11, 1972 (he would have turned 52 years old). He was a lieutenant colonel in the reserve and served in the 38th Separate Guards Airborne Assault Brigade of the Brest Airborne Forces. Recently, he worked as an individual entrepreneur, engaged in food supplements.

Source: Human Rights Center "Viasna" 

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave speech in the Parliment of Cyprus:

“Dear members of the Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs 

Dear excellencies, dear friends of freedom

It is an honor and privilege to address you today. And I know that I am among friends. 

It’s my second day here, in Cyprus, but I already feel how close our nations are. Belarusians, much like Cypriots, deeply understand the true value of freedom.

We have many things to learn about each other. And I think my visit here to Cyprus will help to develop the relationship between Belarusians and Cypriots. 

Exactly on this day, 32 years ago, Belarus and Cyprus established a diplomatic relationship. It was two years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Belarus experienced democracy, similar to what Cyprus enjoys now. However, 2 years later, the power in my country was seized by a dictator.

In 2020, Belarusians rose up against tyranny, against injustice, and violence. 

I am sure you all remember massive rallies all over the country. Belarusians clearly showed that we see our country as free, democratic, and European, not some pariah or Russian province. 

As you know, I was not a professional politician. I ran for president because I wanted to support my husband, who was imprisoned by Lukashenka’s regime. 

My only promise was to conduct free and fair elections. And we have evidence that I won that election. However, our victory was stolen. The dictator unleashed the brutal terror that continues to this day.  He dragged our country into the criminal war against Ukraine and holds nine million Belarusians as hostages. 

Despite that, we continue to resist. Belarusians demonstrate defiance, conduct acts of sabotage, and will never agree to live under tyranny or Russian Yoke.

In exile, we have formed alternative institutions of power, such as the United Transitional Cabinet and Coordination Council. We continue to represent and defend the interests of the Belarusian people. Because Lukashenka is not the president. He is a criminal who seized power and served his patron in Moscow, not the Belarusian people. 

And he must be brought to account for all the crimes he committed. And his record is long: crimes against humanity, treason against the state, hijacking of the Ryanair flight, deportation of Ukrainian children, and complicity in the war. 

Our mission, the mission of Belarusian democratic forces, remains the same. Our aim is to liberate Belarus from the grip of dictatorship and Russian claws. Lukashenka’s regime must be dismantled. Every political prisoner must be released. Perpetrators must be punished. We need free and fair elections under international supervision.

The regime of Lukashenka is much more vulnerable than it seems. It is like a chair on three legs: money, repression, and Russia. If one leg falls, the whole chair collapses. 

Unfortunately, the situation in Belarus didn’t improve. Political parties, media, and civil society initiatives have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands had to flee the country because of repressions. This is how Lukashenka takes revenge on people who dared to dream about freedom. 

Thousands are still held as political prisoners under the most inhumane conditions. One of them is my husband. My children have not seen their daddy for four years already. For one year, he is held incommunicado, and I don’t know if he is alive. 

Despite the terror, Belarusians continue to resist. You can’t see big rallies anymore, but the protest went underground. We see the small acts of sabotage, of resistance. And most important – people did not give up. 

After the regime dragged our country into the criminal war against Ukraine, it became evident that Lukashenka doesn’t represent Belarus anymore. He is selling our country to Putin, piece by piece, in exchange for political support.

Therefore, it’s so crucial right now to isolate the regime, politically, economically through sanctions – through all available means. However, while isolating the regime we should not isolate the people. 

We should distinguish the regime from the people: it’s the regime who became Putin’s accomplice. Meanwhile, Belarusian people are fighting for democracy and freedom, and supporting Ukraine. 

For us, the victory of Ukraine will be also our victory. But also vice versa, changes in Belarus can help Ukraine to win faster. Our fates are interconnected.

Dear friends,

I want to thank the Cypriot Parliament and your committee for your strong voice in support of freedom and democracy. I want to ask you to be vocal on Belarus situation, support our democratic aspirations, isolate Belarus regime as it violates international law and human rights. 

You can make statements, resolutions on Belarus. Every action matters. I ask you to pay particular attention to the situation with human rights abuses, political prisoners, involvement of Lukashenka’s regime in the war, and deployment of nuclear weapons on our territory. 

I want to thank you for your strong position on sanctions, and your efforts to counter those who attempt to evade sanctions. For years, the Belarus regime was using Cyprus for the evasion of sanctions. Right now, more than 500 companies in Belarus have Cypriot capital. Many of these companies are related to the regime, support the war and repressions. We rely on your help to identify and sanction them.

I want to ask you to distinguish between Belarus regime and Belarusian people. Many Belarusian continue to fight for freedom both inside the country, and abroad. Belarusian people don’t support the war, and don’t support dictatorship. 

I hope Cyprus will support Belarusians living here in Cyprus, it’s more than 5000 people. Yesterday, I met our diaspora in Limassol. They face many challenges. The regime deprived them of documents, passports. Many can’t return home because they will be immediately arrested. They become de facto stateless.

I hope Cyprus will find a solution for them, providing them with legalization, travel documents, residence permits, and allowing them to open bank accounts. We as democratic forces are ready to provide verification for people and companies residing in Cyprus.

I also encourage you to create the group for democratic Belarus in the Cypriot Parliament. It would be a strong message of solidarity and support, but also an important instrument to strengthen the cooperation between Cyprus and free Belarus. Such groups exist already in almost all EU parliaments.

I also ask you to join our campaign of godparenthood over political prisoners. More than 400 parliamentarians from different countries around the world, “adopted” our journalists, activists, and teachers behind bars. You can pick any political prisoners, and tell their stories – to people in Cyprus and around the world.

And finally, I invite you to pay a visit to Vilnius or Warsaw, to meet former political prisoners, journalists, activists, – to understand our situation, but also to highlight it in your media. 

Dear friends,

Let me express my deepest gratitude for your time and attention. I know that changes in Belarus will need time. But with your help, I am sure, we will be able to succeed. And Belarus will find its rightful place in the European family, as a free and democratic nation.

Thank you”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

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 investigate and document violations committed by the Lukashenka regime and develop recommendations to stop them.

The group will investigate serious and ongoing human rights violations, collect evidence of the regime’s crimes, and identify perpetrators based on independent investigations by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The resolution is a response to the worsening human rights crisis in Belarus, where many remain behind bars on politically motivated charges, facing harsh treatment and being kept incommunicado. Last year, the Lukashenka regime formally deprived victims of human rights violations of the right to submit complaints to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Kristina Rikhter, emphasizes the importance of the document for holding the regime accountable:

“The resolution itself is not unique – similar decisions on Belarus have already been made by the UN Human Rights Council before. But in this case, we should emphasize the content. The special group established by the UN, in addition to collecting evidence, has been given a mandate to investigate. This is actually a much stronger mechanism that contributes to holding representatives of the regime accountable for their crimes.

I should stress that we have been both closely monitoring the situation and actively advocating for the decision together with other Belarusian human rights organizations. Therefore, we welcome the fact that our voice was heard by the majority of the UN Human Rights Council”.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

On March 27th, it was announced that a Belarusian family had obtained a foreign passport (Potni list za tujca) for their 9-year-old son. This is the first known case of a Belarusian obtaining a passport of a foreigner in Slovenia!

Following the adoption of Decree No. 278, which prohibits Belarusian embassies from issuing passports, the Belarusian People's Embassy in Slovenia prepared instructions (https://t.me/PEofBelarus/203) on obtaining a  passport of a foreigner. The conditions for obtaining the document include having a residence permit and the inability to obtain a passport from one's own country.

"Knowing that our son's passport would expire in June 2024 and that traveling to Belarus is unsafe, we approached the Administrative Unit, which, is responsible for issuing passports. Initially, we faced difficulties due to the employee's lack of experience and we got directed us to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We know that previously other Belarusians were denied support because their Belarusian passport had not yet expired. After appealing to the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we received information about the procedure for issuing a passport of a foreigner, and after reapplying, we received a passport valid for 2 years within a week," shared a Belarusian from Slovenia.

The Belarusian People's Embassy in Slovenia (https://slovenia.belarusabroad.org/) prepared requests to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the Administration of Administrative Units asking for  clarification of the procedure, particularly to make sure that a gap in document validity could be avoided as well as  recognising the danger of returning to Belarus as a sufficient reason for the inability to obtain a passport in light of Decree No. 278.

"More than 400 Belarusians live in Slovenia. According to a survey among the Belarusian diaspora, at least 20 people will face the problem of expired Belarusian passports in the next two years. Currently, the issue of documents for children born in Slovenia is being resolved," commented Alexandra Mamaeva, a representative of the Belarusian People's Embassy in Slovenia.

We hope that the positive experience of obtaining a passport of a foreigner in Slovenia will become a positive precedent not only for the authorities of Slovenia but also for the leadership of other countries.

If you have any questions about obtaining a foreign passport in Slovenia - write to the inbox of the Belarusian People's Embassy in Slovenia at slovenia@belarusabroad.org or in our chat-bot (https://t.me/PEofBelarus_bot).

You can find information for other countries on the website pashpart.org 

Source: People's Embassies of Belarus

Pavel Latushka, the head of the NAM and deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet, delivered a lecture at the Faculty of International Law at the University of Bialystok, discussing the existing legal mechanisms for holding Lukashenko and his accomplices accountable for the international crimes they have committed. What are these mechanisms?

The first mechanism is the State referral of the „Belarus situation” to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. 

Some may argue that since Belarus is not a party to the Rome Statute, the ICC does not have jurisdiction over international crimes committed in our country. However, the jurisprudence and practice of the ICC suggests that the Court can potentially exercise at least jurisdiction over the crime against humanity of deportation, which refers to situations where the civilian population is forced to leave a country's territory due to an “atmosphere of fear and terror” created by the perpetrators.

Civilians who were compelled to flee Belarus to Poland after being persecuted on political grounds by the Lukashenko regime can be considered victims of deportation. 

Since Poland is a state party to the ICC and deportation is a crime committed on the territory of at least two countries (Belarus and Poland), it is possible to establish the ICC's jurisdiction. 

Poland has the right to refer the "situation in Belarus" to the ICC Prosecutor's Office for potential investigation.

The second mechanism is universal jurisdiction. 

This principle allows states to investigate the most serious international crimes, even if they were committed on the territory of another country and neither the perpetrator nor the victim are nationals of the state initiating the criminal investigation. 

Applications have already been submitted under this mechanism in Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland.

The third mechanism is the referral of the dispute to the International Court of Justice. 

Considering the widespread commission of acts constituting torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, there are grounds to assert that Belarus has violated its obligations under the relevant international Convention against Torture of 1984, to which Belarus is a party. 

Since the violated provisions of the Convention are obligations to the entire world community (erga omnes), virtually any state party to the Convention can file an application against Belarus to the International Court of Justice.

Furthermore, A. Lukashenko and his accomplices may be subject to criminal liability for war crimes. 

With the onset of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine, in which the Lukashenko regime is involved, the NAM has been documenting instances of the illegal displacement of children from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine to Belarus. Such actions potentially constitute a war crime.

It is known that from September 2022 to May 2023, approximately 2,100 children aged 6 to 15 years, hailing from at least 15 occupied Ukrainian cities, were transported to the Belarusian Dubrava camp under the pretext of "rehabilitation." 

In this regard, the NAM has prepared and submitted two Communications under Article 15 of the Rome Statute to the ICC Prosecutor's Office.

Source: NAM

Mikhail Taube, the representative of the Belarusian People's Embassy in Germany, is pleased to inform about significant changes in German legislation that will greatly ease the lives of Belarusians seeking German citizenship.

From June 26, 2024, changes to the German citizenship law come into force, bringing two key pieces of news for Belarusians:

The Possibility to Retain Belarusian Citizenship:

Now, Belarusians can apply for German citizenship without renouncing their Belarusian citizenship. This opens new opportunities, simplifying the integration process and offering the chance to acquire dual citizenship without the need to forsake their roots.

Elimination of the Need to Appeal to Lukashenko:

Another significant point is that Belarusians no longer need to request renunciation of Belarusian citizenship from Lukashenko's regime and the dictator personally. This removes a moral and psychological barrier for many who find it unacceptable to appeal to the current self-proclaimed president of Belarus.

More details on the changes in the German citizenship law can be found at this link.

Source: People's Embassies of Belarus

At the Embassy of Lithuania in Prague, the leader of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, met with ambassadors and diplomats from Argentina, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Kosovo, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Bulgaria. On the occasion of the meeting, the Lithuanian embassy displayed the white-red-white flag.

Ms. Tsikhanouskaya talked about the results of her visit to Prague and shared the plans of the democratic forces. A discussion followed the Belarusian leader’s speech. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya urged the countries to appoint special envoys for relations with Belarus’ democratic forces, as Estonia, France, Sweden, Lithuania, Poland, and other nations have done. The leader requested more visas for Belarusians and called for issuing alien passports, suspending the requirement of apostilles, and recognizing expired Belarusian passports. The participants of the meeting also discussed progress in preparations for the issuance of the new Belarusian passport.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Stockholm, March 26, 2024 – In a landmark decision, the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) has released a legal statement addressing the plight of Belarusian citizens struggling to obtain passports due to restrictions imposed by the regime ruling their homeland. The document comes as a response to the decree issued by the illegitimate self-proclaimed ruler of Belarus on September 4, 2023, which effectively halted the issuance and renewal of passports by Belarusian foreign institutions.

The Agency's statement sheds light on the critical need for Belarusians, especially those residing abroad, to access alternative means of identification and travel documentation. The legal stance emphasizes the challenges faced by Belarusians who, as a result of the decree, find themselves unable to acquire new passports without returning to Belarus. The Agency pointedly stated, "Under the current conditions, Belarusians should not be encouraged to travel home to obtain passports. In practice, this means that Belarusian citizens abroad do not have the opportunity to obtain a document that acts as a passport."

This development significantly impacts the ability of Belarusians living abroad to apply for foreign passports, acknowledging that obtaining a valid passport document within a reasonable timeframe is now an impossibility for them.

As a direct consequence, the Swedish Migration Agency is poised to issue foreigner passports or alternative documents to those Belarusian citizens within Sweden who find themselves unable to obtain a passport due to these stringent restrictions. This move aims to ensure their eligibility to apply for a residence permit, with the Agency clarifying, "[...] in some cases, a foreigner may be granted a residence permit even in the absence of a passport if it is not possible to obtain a passport within a reasonable period (see section 2.1 and §§ 1 of the Aliens Act), either through the foreign representation of their country or through the authorities at home. Under the current conditions, it can be assumed that an applicant from Belarus who is abroad does not have the opportunity to obtain a passport within a reasonable period."

The issue of identification for Belarusians has been a focal point of discussions between Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the democratically elected leader of Belarus, and the People's Embassy of Belarus in Sweden, as they seek to navigate the challenges posed by the current regime's restrictive policies. This latest development from the Swedish Migration Agency marks a crucial step towards addressing the immediate needs of Belarusian citizens in Sweden, providing them with a semblance of security and mobility amidst ongoing reign of terror in their homeland. 

Source: People's Embassies of Belarus

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s working visit to Prague featured several high-level meetings, including with the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. During the conversation, the Belarusian leader raised several important issues, including the situation with political prisoners, harsh prison conditions, and coordinated pressure on the regime.

In addition, the dialogue focused on ways to stop Belarus’ involvement in the war. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya specifically raised the issue of the European perspective for Belarus and called on the president to support it. At the end of the meeting, the Belarusian leader presented Petr Pavel with the Cross of Good Neighbourhood.

After the meeting, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted: “I am grateful to Czechia and the Czech President for their firm position in supporting Ukraine and free Belarus. The most important thing I wanted to convey is that the Belarus issue must not be postponed for later and Belarus must not become a consolation prize for Putin. The crisis in the region requires a comprehensive solution that includes Belarus. Democratic changes in our country are an investment in the security of Ukraine and the entire Europe”.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Lipavský, the President of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, and the Speaker of the Parliament, Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

⚪️ Ms. Tsikhanouskaya urged the foreign minister to consider ways to soften the visa ban, including by making exceptions for certain groups, including students and relatives of Belarusians in the Czech Republic.

🔴 The President of the Czech Senate and the Belarusian leader laid flowers at the graves of the leaders of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. After the ceremony, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and the Czech side discussed broader recognition of the United Transitional Cabinet and ways to strengthen its legitimacy.

⚪️ Ms. Tsikhanouskaya discussed a support campaign for political prisoners with the Speaker of the Parliament. A conference on Belarusian political prisoners is being prepared, organized by the Office of Belarus Democratic Forces in the Czech Republic and Czech patrons.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Keynote points of Pavel Latushka, Head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus

20 March 2024, Warsaw

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, I am pleased to welcome all the guests - the EU Member States Special Envoys for the Eastern Partnership, and especially Ambassador Dirk Schuebel for organizing the meeting and the opportunity to speak up. 

We are in the Free Belarus Museum - which not only collects artifacts of protest Belarus of 2020 and beyond, makes exhibitions of Belarusian artists, theater performances, but is also an open socio-political and discussion platform for the entire democratic community. The museum is one of the projects of the National Anti-Crisis Management team, which I represent here.

To show you the scale and permanence of repression, which operates like a conveyor belt, we have taken news about arrests, detentions and trials on political grounds over the last 10 days only. As you can see on the screen, all this happens in Belarus every day.

New information from Belarus this morning. Detentions, trials - and so on every day.

It's been 4 years since the beginning of the events of the summer of 2020 in Belarus. 2 years since the beginning of the war of Russia and Lukashenko's regime against Ukraine. 

In the context of world history, these years and events are only a moment. But for millions of Belarusians the events of the last years became the biggest and hardest test in their lives. And the longest. 

According to the human rights center "Dissidentby", as of today there are 1602 officially recognised political prisoners in Belarus. 1082 political prisoners have already served their terms.

As you can see, Lukashenko's regime puts new political prisoners in place of those released. 

At least five political prisoners have already died in prison: Vitold Ashurok, Ales Pushkin, Mikalai Klimovich, Vadzim Khrasko, Igorr Lednik. Torture, inhuman conditions, lack of medical care - this is what political prisoners face in Lukashenko's prisons. And they die. 

6 political prisoners are in incommunicado status. The leader of the Social Democrats Mikalai Statkevich has been in incommunicado status for more than 400 days. We know nothing about his fate. 

According to the report by the Centre for Law and Democracy Justice Hub, from May 2020 to May 2023 at least 136 thousand people became victims of crimes against humanity in Belarus. Illegal deprivation of liberty, torture, murder, rape and other serious forms of sexual violence, including against minors, enforced disappearances, deportations - this is what happens in Belarus. Every day. 

All independent mass media have been liquidated in Belarus. During these 3.5 years 1500 non-governmental organizations have been eliminated in Belarus, 950 are in the process of liquidation. All 11 political parties have been liquidated. We can state the almost complete destruction of civil society.

What is Lukashenko’s power based on

To date, Lukashenko has held on to power primarily thanks to the security forces and financial and economic support from the Russian Federation.

One of the important factors of the regime's financial sustainability is the use of opportunities to circumvent EU, US and other sanctions through Belarus in the interests of Russia.

Smuggling, corruption schemes, as well as actually legal income due to the lack of synchronization of sanctions against Russia and Lukashenko's regime. All this allows the dictator to earn quite a lot of money.

The electoral cycle has started in Belarus. 

First stage. On the 25th of February Lukashenko organized the appointment of deputies to the parliament.

We defined this day as a "day with no choice". There were only two candidates for one mandate in Lukashenko's parliament. The forecast of independent political analysts and journalists about whom Lukashenko would appoint to his parliament was 100% confirmed. We proceed from the fact that this institution can’t have international recognition and participate in international parliamentary organizations due to the fact that this body is not a body representing the Belarusian people.

Second stage of electoral cycle. On the 25-26 of April Minsk will host a session of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, a constitutional body created by Lukashenko. This body will actually become higher than the parliament. It actually appoints deputies of various levels, judges, prosecutors, representatives of the power bloc, the government, Lukashenko's administration and non-governmental organizations fully controlled by the regime - 1200 members.

Lukashenko has created 4 parties, which are not political structures in the general sense of the word, and are fully incorporated into Lukashenko's totalitarian system.

The third stage after the establishment of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly will be the election of the President of Belarus, which can take place either in 2024 or 2025. The decision on the date of the election is in the exclusive competence of the dictator.

Today we can state that Belarus has a totalitarian system. 

Lukashenko is under Putin's considerable control and is in fact a puppet implementing policies in his interests. Lukashenko balances the issues of maintaining power inside Belarus, using tools to obtain economic resources from Russia and performing military-political and diplomatic tasks in the Kremlin's interests.

Democratic Forces of Belarus

We can state a unique situation that has developed among the democratic forces of Belarus. It is unique from the point of view of the history of modern Europe. We actually have three institutions that represent the interests of Belarusians abroad and carry out actions aimed at influencing the internal agenda in Belarus. 

The first institution is the President-Elect, and at the same time the head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus - Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya. 

The second institution is the United Transitional Cabinet as the executive body of the democratic forces, which I have the honor to represent today. 

The third institution is the Coordination Council.

Preservation, strengthening and development of these institutions is the general strategy of the democratic majority in Belarusian society today. We face the important task of organizing direct elections to the Coordination Council, which could take place between May and September 2024. 

At the same time, a number of new institutions with both socio-political, civic and human rights orientation have emerged in recent years. Among them we can single out the Office of Svietlana Tsikhanovskaya, NAM, organizations of former law enforcers of Belarus - Belpol and Baypol, workers' movement - Rabochy Rukh, Cyberpartisans and others.

Due to the impossibility to carry out professional activities on the territory of Belarus, a wide network of independent media has been created abroad, among which it is important to mention Belsat, Euroradio, Radio Racja, Nasha Niva, Malanka TV and others. Belarusan bloggers and relevant channels operate from abroad.

The non-governmental sector of Belarus in connection with relocation is also represented abroad, however, as well as the above-mentioned institutions, it continues to interact through confidential channels with Belarusians living inside the country. Here we can note the presence of dozens, if not hundreds, of non-governmental organizations.

Thus, we have a unique situation of actual preservation of institutions, non-governmental organizations, political structures and independent media, which work daily to change the situation in Belarus.

We are self-critical about our performance, but at the same time, the fact that we have managed to maintain consolidation and a certain degree of efficiency over three and a half years is important.

Strategy towards Belarus

Unfortunately, we have to admit that since 2020 there has been no clear understandable strategy of actions aimed at changing the situation in Belarus.

During this time Lukashenko:

• Unfolded the most large-scale mass repressions against the Belarusian society for the last 50 years of European history.

• Crimes are committed in Belarus, which according to official documents of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the UN Human Rights Council are recognised as crimes against humanity.

• Organized the hijacking of a Ryanair civilian aircraft, thereby actually committed an act of terrorism.

• Organized an undeclared war with the use of illegal migrants against Belarus' neighboring states that are EU members.

• Provided the territory of Belarus for aggression against Ukraine.

• Has become Russia's main ally in military-industrial and trade and economic cooperation. Neither North Korea, nor Venezuela, nor any other countries can match the scale of tactical and strategic assistance provided by Lukashenko in Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

• Achieved the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. We can predict that the next step will be the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons on the territory of the country.

As of today, we must state that the only country that has a clear systematic strategy of actions in relation to Belarus is the Russian Federation, which has set as its strategic goal the incorporation of the territory of Belarus into the Russian Federation. The so-called Union State of Belarus and Russia is used for this purpose.

If we see today the actions of Russia aimed at the military occupation of Ukraine, then at the same time we must state that Russia carries out actions of non-military occupation of Belarus. 

What is the strategy of the Russian Federation? Their strategy is to provide informational, ideological, cultural influence on the Belarusian society. At the same time, they marginalize Belarusian culture, Belarusian language in Belarus, strengthen the perception inside the country, among Belarusians, of unity with Russian society, rewrite history, etc. This is militarisation of society, identification of the European Union, the United States of America, and democratic values in general as common enemies. For this purpose, both informational propaganda tools and creation of pro-Russian non-governmental organizations on the territory of Belarus, bribery, corruption of state officials, introduction of persons connected with Russian special services into the system of national defense and security are used.

An important thesis that I would like to voice. We are fully aware that the responsibility for the future of Belarus as an independent, sovereign state, first of all, lies with the Belarusian people. And our goal is not to shift this responsibility to our partners, who are assisting us in this difficult period of struggle for our sovereignty and independence. However, without international support, without a mutual strategy of actions, the achievement of our goal will be longer in time and less realistic.

I don’t think that we have too high expectations of possible action from our partners. Rather, we are often faced with an underestimated desire to use the available arsenal to prosecute and hold the Lukashenko regime accountable for all the violations of international law and human rights that I have mentioned.

Main challenge and threats

Today Belarus is in the geopolitical context of the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine. It should be understood that territorially Belarus is surrounded by Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia and is in the center of geopolitical events. 

The “Belarus balcony” is of strategic importance for the interests of the Russian Federation and will certainly be further used by Russia in continuing the war against Ukraine and destabilizing the situation in the neighboring countries of Belarus. 

Is it possible to reach an agreement with Lukashenko? This is an unrealistic scenario. By his mentality, Lukashenko is a man connected with the Russian world and devoted to the interests of the Russian Federation. At the same time, he is a man who would like to retain a certain control over the territory of Belarus. And he will balance his relations with Putin only in the context related to obtaining more economic resources to preserve his power, gradually giving up a part of sovereignty in favor of the Russian Federation. Any steps in the direction of the West can mean only one thing - the desire to receive even more funds for loyalty to the Kremlin.

The key factor that can change the situation in Belarus is the Belarusian people, who need to regain their subjectivity in terms of influence on the internal and external policy of Belarus. 

The key factor and strategy of the democratic forces of Belarus is to support Ukraine and the victory of Ukraine over Russia as an aggressor country.

Russia is currently pursuing a strategy aimed at demotivating Western partners to provide financial, economic and other assistance to Ukraine. In my opinion, the West can apply a similar, somewhat mirror-like strategy towards Russia. The most powerful sanctions against Russia are the elimination of Lukashenko's regime in Belarus. Even destabilization of his regime will force Russia to invest more in supporting Lukashenko.

In 2020, the Belarusian people took to the streets in protest and declared their desire to live in a democratic state, in a common European home. At that time, we noted the highest possible degree of motivation of Belarusians to fight for their rights, for the European perspective.

For almost four years, the Belarusian people have been subjected to the most large-scale repressions, which led to human casualties and to the deportation of a huge number of Belarusians. And at the same time, there is a perception in the Belarusian society that the partners are not interested in supporting the Belarusian people. I do not say this on my own behalf, I bring this thesis based on the information that we receive from inside Belarus, from the active part of the Belarusian society.

Belarusians often feel frustration because in response to the struggle for their freedom, for democracy, for supporting Ukraine, Belarusians have lost their lives. Many Belarusians have been killed, have been repressed, and are in prisons on sentences of more than 20 years of imprisonment. But there is no appropriate reaction against those persons who are guilty of committing these crimes. 

Therefore, it seems crucial to implement the following strategy of actions and concrete steps:

First. It is important for us to identify among the member states of the European Union the partner countries at the level of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Justice, which would be ready together with us to carry out targeted legal actions to transfer the materials on crimes against humanity for consideration in the International Criminal Court in the context of deportation of at least 100 thousand Belarusians to the territory of the member states of the European Union.

According to the lawyers of the National Anti-Crisis Management, this approach is the most realistic in terms of raising the question of bringing Lukashenko to justice for the international crimes committed. This is an instrument of justice, influence on the presidential election, on the split of elites in the future. 

Second. Ukraine's support in initiating an arrest warrant against Lukashenko for war crimes related to the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to the territory of Belarus and their indoctrination is important to us. According to the National Anti-Crisis Management, our team, at least 3,000 Ukrainian children from 20 settlements were taken to the territory of Belarus between September 2022 and May 2023. We submitted two communications to the ICC in The Hague. 

The question of Lukashenko's responsibility for the war is of strategic importance. For today Lukashenko sells the thesis about his non-involvement in the aggression to the Belarusian society. And this is another strategic informational mistake. The international attention is not focused on Lukashenko's responsibility for the aggression, for the victims that the Ukrainian people bear. This leads to the perception among Belarusians that Lukashenka is not guilty of anything, is not involved in the aggression, and, on the contrary, does everything to establish peace.

The third element of the strategy. We need a program of support for independent media. Recently, we have noted a decrease in financial support for the independent media in Belarus. 

The fourth element of the strategy is to support the national identity of Belarusians, to support Belarusian culture in emigration, to create centers of Belarusian culture and education - the Belarusian National University, the National Theatre, other cultural institutions for preserving the national culture, its subsequent relocation to Belarus, and through these institutions to spread informational and cultural influence on Belarusian society inside the country.

The fifth element of the strategy. The Lukashenko regime has taken actions aimed at reducing the possibilities of the consular services of the European Union on the territory of Belarus; we are fully aware of this. At the same time, it seems important to jointly work out approaches that would allow more opportunities for Belarusians to visit the European Union, to obtain multiple-entry and Schengen visas. Greater openness of the European Union for the Belarusian society will contribute to the formation of a positive image of the EU among Belarusans.

The sixth factor of the strategy is the key one - the Belarusian people.

Closure of border crossings 

We are fully aware of the importance of ensuring the national security of Belarus’ neighboring states and understand the logic aimed at increasing control over Belarusian citizens entering the territory of these countries. At the same time, Belarusians perceive these actions as directed against them, not against Lukashenko's regime. Since, as I said above, there is no international responsibility, no large-scale sanctions are imposed, and this leads to the perception of Belarusians that it is the citizens of Belarus, and not the dictator, who are responsible for what happens in the country.

As a politician, I absolutely support all the actions of our partners aimed at strengthening national security and defense. The acquisition of F-16 aircrafts, leopards and other military weapons is certainly necessary and important. At the same time, I think it is important for us to realize that the main weapon is the people. The Belarusian people, who in 2020 opposed the dictator, who in 2022 opposed aggression against Ukraine. The Belarusian people, who are subjected to repressions on a daily basis, are our main weapon in the situation if the Putin regime and Lukashenko decide to reuse the territory of Belarus for aggression against Ukraine or one of the EU member states. And motivation is very important here. I think none of us would like to see a Belarusian soldier on the border with the European Union in a few years, who is ready to enter the territory of the EU. Therefore, purposeful actions to support Belarusians, exactly actions, are very important today.

I thank sincerely all our partners, the foreign ministries of the EU member states for their principled position in supporting our struggle for freedom.

The Eastern Partnership is an initiative that undoubtedly contributes to stimulating the European choice of Belarusians. But in order to bring this choice closer, it is very important for us to motivate Belarusians. The actions I mentioned above are only a part of a possible strategy. For us, of course, it would be a very serious step if the democratic forces of Belarus were given a place in the Eastern Partnership. It is difficult, but it is a very important political decision. We are ready to take this place, we are ready to intensify our cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

It is also important for us to feel and understand that without civil society and democratic forces of Belarus today the issues of the future of Belarus cannot be solved.

We're stronger together.

Source: NAM

On March 15, when Constitution Day is celebrated in Belarus, the Lithuanian Seimas hosted a conference titled “Investments in the Long-term Future of Democratic Belarus: Key Reform Strategies”. In the video address, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor for Constitutional Reform and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Anatoli Liabedzka, comments on the conference and its results:

“During the conference, we presented six draft laws to complement and develop the Constitution. After their elaboration, the documents will be handed over to the United Transitional Cabinet, and after the election – to the Coordination Council of the new convocation. In this way, we are creating a stable legal framework for the new Belarus, so that after the democratic transition of power, the new government can carry out political reforms as soon as possible”, notes Anatoli Liabedzka.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

On March 11-14, the European Parliament is holding a solidarity campaign with Belarusian political prisoners. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Parliamentary Cooperation and Constitutional Reform, Anatoli Liabedzka, was present during the solidarity action on March 13. The politician reported that within the framework of the #EPSTANDSBYYOU initiative, MEPs, including the EP President, Roberta Metsola, have already signed more than 600 postcards for Belarusian political prisoners. In addition, MEPs raise awareness of the dire situation with political prisoners in Belarus and share information about it on social media with the hashtag #EPSTANDSBYYOU.

This is the second campaign of the initiative. The first one was held in December 2022.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “The new launch of this initiative is the result of my recent meeting with Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament. I am grateful to Roberta and the members of the European Parliament for supporting this idea. I am convinced that #EPSTANDSBYYOU will encourage politicians all over Europe to join the fight for the freedom of Belarusian political prisoners!”

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Today, the Court of Appeal in Belgrade overturned the earlier decision on the extradition of filmmaker and activist Andrei Hniot to Belarus and sent the case for a new hearing to the High Administrative Court in Belgrade. In overturning the earlier decision, the court of appeal noted that not all the circumstances of the case had been properly considered. It also found a violation of Andrei Hniot and his defense’s right to appear before the court and give testimonies in person. The next hearing of the case in the court of first instance is scheduled for March 26.

Together with the annulment of the decision of the court of first instance, the court extended Andrei’s detention for another 60 days. This does not mean that he will spend the whole term in prison: in case of a decision in favor of Andrei, he will be released from custody.

Given that the Interpol Central Bureau has blocked access to Andrei’s profile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Kristina Rikhter, hopes for a positive outcome: “I am very grateful to the diplomatic corps of the European Union countries in Belgrade. The ambassadors of several countries responded very quickly to our lawyers’ request for assistance – and organized both negotiations at the diplomatic level and attendance at the appeal court hearing, thus expressing their solidarity with Andrei”.

The Office’s Legal Department will continue to closely follow the fate of Andrei’s case and will be in constant communication with lawyers and the diplomatic corps.

We urge Belarusians to support Andrei with letters of support. The address is: Andrei Hniot, Centralni zatvor, Bačvanska 14, 11050 Beograd (Voždovac).

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

During the European People’s Party Congress, the Belarusian leader met with the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, as well as the Minister of the Interior, Davor Božinović. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya expressed gratitude to Croatia for supporting the Council of Europe’s recent document on Belarus, which calls for issuing more visas to Belarusians and resolving the legalization of stay problems.

The Belarusian leader asked the politicians to simplify the legalization of stay for Belarusians in Croatia, including issuing alien passports, recognizing expired Belarusian passports as valid, and lifting the apostille requirement.

The parties discussed the situation with political prisoners in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about prisoners held incommunicado by the regime and called for efforts to secure their immediate release through international organizations. Additionally, she proposed that Croatia support a rehabilitation program for the children of the repressed and facilitate events involving the Belarusian diaspora.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya gave speech at the meeting of the EPP Young Members Network in Bucharest, Romania:

“Dear EPP friends,

Thank you, dear Roberta and dear Eva for your strong words, for your bravery, and for everything you do for Belarus and Ukraine.

I will never stop repeating how much I admire women-leaders like you. If Lukashenka was in this room, he would probably have a heart attack.

In his obsolete world view, the place for a woman is in the kitchen to cook borshch, but not in politics.

When in 2020 I ran for president instead of my imprisoned husband, the dictator registered me as a joke. “No one will vote for a woman”, he said. But I won. We won.

But like a classic coward, Lukashenka refused to step down. Instead, he unleashed terror against his own people. Our beautiful peaceful protest was drowned in blood, in tears, in pain.

Lukashenka often repeats: “I don’t fight with women”. However, this is exactly what he does.

And it is not only women. Among 1500 political prisoners almost half are young people. They are activists and volunteers, entrepreneurs and journalists, paramedics and young engineers.

The regime also attacks students. One of them was at the student desk, when four KGB thugs in masks broke into an Economics lecture.

They slammed his face onto the floor, and broke his fingers. And the only reason for their brutality were 8 anti-war comments he posted on Youtube.

Some of political prisoners were just 16 when they landed in Lukashenka’s jails. Some already celebrated their third birthday behind bars, and missed their school graduation party.

Some tried to kill themselves, when they got their draconian sentences of 5, 8 or 12 years. One couldn’t no longer bear such torment and tried to cut his throat…with a pen – the only personal item he was allowed to have. It is sickening.

In very rare letters home, political prisoners write that they don’t have dreams about freedom anymore. Their dreams are about food, just normal food.

Another one, Stsiapan Latypau, is dying from scurvy – the disease when your body severely lacks vitamin C.

Some others already lost hope of release, and are ready to end up like Alexei Navalny.

In prisons, political prisoners are forced to bear a yellow label, which means they are political and subject to harsher treatment. Sometimes you can be beaten and tortured.

Many including my husband are being held incommunicado, in full isolation, in punishment cells. This is the worst form of torture.

The only information political prisoners receive is from propaganda newspapers. It takes some time to learn how to read between the lines, to understand what’s really going on.

The regime is doing everything possible to make them feel abandoned.

It forces their relatives to publicly denounce children, sisters, and brothers as enemies of the state.

We read it in books about Stalin times, but we never believed it would be possible in the 21-st century.

Lawyers who are the only contact for political prisoners with the outside world, are often repressed too.

Those who send parcels or letters to political prisoners, got detained. The very solidarity is criminalized.

Political prisoners are having their own fight. And the goal of this fight is simple — at the very least to survive.

And our moral obligation is to fight for them. I know that they count on us. And they count on you.

First of all, we should make their release our priority and our commitment. Obviously, we don’t have a key to prisons. But we have other tools. For almost two years, no strong sanctions were imposed for repressions, torture, and political prisoners.

If the regime knows that for every death, for every illegal detention, it will be taken into account – the situation could be very different. Help us to advocate for stronger sanctions against the regime, and for opening investigation of its crimes.

And second, I ask you to highlight the stories of political prisoners, especially young people, so their fight is not forgotten. Swiss-German NGO Libereco has launched the campaign of “adopting” political prisoners. Already, more than 400 parliamentarians from all over the world became “godparents”.

Some EPP leaders did it as well. Roberta Metsola became a godmother for Palina Sharenda Panasiuk, and Radek Sikorski became a “godparent” for my husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski.

I ask you to join this campaign as well. We brought brochures for you, where you can read how to do it. It will take five minutes of your time, but for people behind bars – it might save their life.

You can tweet about them, write an article, call their family or send a letter to prison. Every gesture of solidarity matters.

Dear friends,

I know that it is not the most optimistic speech you heard today.

But it is rooted in reality, in the truth of what is happening in Belarus right now.

It is important that we do not turn away from these hard truths, but rather face them head-on with determination and hope.

Remember, our struggle is not just a Belarusian struggle; it is a struggle for democracy, for human rights, for the very essence of what Europe stands for.

As you enter the electoral campaign for the European Parliament, I call on you to become champions of democracy.

To be advocates of all those who risk their lives and their freedom in the name of values we all here stand for.

Include Ukraine and Belarus in your election program. Because the fight for freedom is a global one.

Provide Ukraine with everything it needs. The victory of Ukraine will be the ultimate defeat of Putin and Lukashenka.

And stand with those who fight for free Belarus. Changes in Belarus will bring Ukraine’s victory faster, and will become a huge blow to Putin.

I encourage you to include Belarusian activists and political parties in the work of EPP, YEPP and Young Members network. One day, Belarus will become a part of the European Union, and we can prepare for this day already now.

In the end, let me invite you to join the international Day of Solidarity with Belarus, on March 25. This is our national holiday when we traditionally celebrate our freedom and independence.

I am confident, that one day, we will be celebrating it together with you, in Minsk and other Belarusian cities, without fear but with pride.

Thank you for your attention, your compassion, and your support.”

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

During her working visit to Sofia, the Belarusian leader met with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria. Nikolai Denkov expressed hope for close cooperation between the country and the democratic forces of Belarus.

With her visit, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya aims to restore the relations that have been destroyed by the Lukashenka regime. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya invited Bulgaria to join the group “For a Democratic Belarus” in the OSCE, as well as support the work of the Contact Group in the Council of Europe.

The dialogue focused on the Russian threat to the independence of Belarus and the regime’s involvement in the war. The parties also discussed ways to hold the regime accountable. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya mentioned the evidence of its crimes gathered by the National Anti-Crisis Management that was submitted to the UN last week.

The Belarusian leader emphasized the issue of political prisoners and called for urgent steps to secure their release, especially of those with serious health issues and those held incommunicado.

The parties also discussed pressure on the regime and ways to make it more effective without isolating Belarusians. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called for continued issuance of visas and support for those fleeing repression. In addition, the leader spoke about the new Belarusian passport project and expressed hope for Bulgaria’s support.

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke at the meeting with European Affairs Committee in Sofia, Bulgaria:

“Dear Mr. Kiril Petkov,

Dear members of the European Affairs Committee,

Dear excellencies, dear friends of freedom,

It is an honor and privilege to address you today. And I know that I am among friends. Your support, your solidarity, your consistency are really inspiring. 

It’s my second day here, in Bulgaria, but I already feel how close our nations are. Bulgarians like Belarusians know very well what it is like to live in the shadow of the Empire. 

You survived the dark times of Fascist and Communist dictatorships. You survived centuries of Ottoman yoke. You know the price of freedom, how easy to lose it, and how difficult it is to get it back. 

For many people in the western democracies, it is hard to understand. For many, democracy is like air. Only when it is not there, you start to suffocate.

Two days ago, you celebrated Liberation Day. I am also proud that Belarusians contributed to Bulgarian freedom. One of those who liberated Sofia was General Gurko, Belarusian nobleman and officer who fought in Russian Army back then. 

Another Belarusian freedom fighter fighting for Bulgaria was Nikolai Sudzilouski, known by his nickname Николас Руссель. Born in Belarus, this outstanding doctor, ethnographer, linguist, and writer fell in love with Bulgaria. 

And he was one of the organizers of the April uprising against the Ottoman Empire. And now his name, like Gurka’s, became one of the symbols of Bulgarian-Belarusian friendship.

We have many things to learn about each other. And I think my visit here to Sofia will help to restore the relationship between Belarusians and Bulgarians that was destroyed by the regime in Minsk.

Unfortunately, the situation in Belarus doesn’t become better. Political parties, media, and civil society initiatives have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands had to flee the country because of repressions. This is how Lukashenka takes revenge on people who dared to demand free elections. 

Thousands are still held as political prisoners under the most inhumane conditions. One of them is my husband. My children have not seen their daddy for four years already. For one year, he is held incommunicado, and I don’t know if he is alive. 

Despite the terror, Belarusians continue to resist. You can’t see big rallies anymore, but the protest went underground. We see the small acts of sabotage, of resistance. And most important – people did not give up. 

After the regime dragged our country into the criminal war against Ukraine, it became evident that Lukashenka doesn’t represent Belarus anymore. He is selling our country to Putin, piece by piece, in exchange for political support.

Therefore, it’s so crucial right now to isolate the regime, politically, economically through sanctions – through all available means. However, isolating the regime we should not isolate the people. 

We should distinguish the regime from the people: it’s the regime who became Putin’s accomplice. Meanwhile, Belarusian people are fighting for democracy and freedom, and supporting Ukraine. 

For us, the victory of Ukraine will be also our victory. But also vice versa, changes in Belarus can help Ukraine to win faster. Our fates are interconnected.

Dear friends,

One of the parliamentarians, whom I met today, told me: We, Bulgarians, are not just saying something, we are doing. 

So, one of the practical results of this visit would be the creation of the group for free Belarus in the Bulgarian parliament. I invite you to join this group, it would be a strong message of solidarity and support, but also an important instrument to strengthen the cooperation between Bulgaria and free Belarus. 

Also, I encourage you to organize a hearing on the situation in Belarus in Parliamentary committees. Your statements, your resolutions are also important. 

I ask you to pay particular attention to the situation with human rights abuses, political prisoners, involvement of Lukashenka’s regime in the war, and deployment of nuclear weapons on our territory. 

Currently we campaign for a European perspective for Belarus. Belarusians want to hear that in the future, after the regime collapses, we will be able to join the EU and Council of Europe. For us, the European Union is the best and the only alternative to the “Russian world”. 

I also ask you to join our campaign of godparenthood over political prisoners. More than 400 parliamentarians from different countries around the world, “adopted” our journalists, activists, and teachers behind bars. You can pick any political prisoners, and tell their stories – to people in Bulgaria and around the world.

Also consider inviting Belarusians to have short-term internships in your offices, and particularly, in your committee. We need to prepare the future elite, and we can learn democratic processes from you.

And finally, I invite you to pay a visit to Vilnius or Warsaw, to meet former political prisoners, our partisans, military volunteers fighting for Ukraine – to understand our situation, but also to highlight it in your media. 

Dear friends,

Let me express my deepest gratitude for your time and attention. I know that changes in Belarus will need time. But with your help, I am sure, we will be able to succeed. And Belarus will find its rightful place in the European family, as a free and democratic nation.

Thank you.”

Source: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya