– Our roots are in Europe, we belong there. Many Belarusians fear that as a result of the talks on Ukraine, Belarus will be devoted to Putin. This cannot be allowed to happen. Lukashenko cannot be allowed to torment Belarusians abroad and prevent them from living a normal life. We must remember that our fight against Lukashenko will be a lesson for other dictators in the world – Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, chairwoman of the United Transitional Cabinet, leader of the Belarusian opposition, President of Free Belarus, told the Polish Radio website.
- Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s plan for 2024 assumes a European campaign for Belarus, actions to prosecute the crimes of the regime, increasing pressure on the regime by tightening sanctions
- it is necessary to solve the problems of the diaspora related to the legalization of stay. Due to Lukashenko’s decision not to renew passports in foreign offices, half a million people may soon become stateless
- political prisoners are a priority; the regime uses a new type of torture: it maintains a communication blockade against them, it is not known whether the prisoners are alive
– It is difficult to predict today exactly what challenges Belarusians will face in 2024 – Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, told the Polish Radio website when asked about her plans for this year.
However, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that 2024 is to be marked by a European campaign.
– Our plan for the coming year is to promote European prospects for Belarus. We must explain to the world that Belarus’s place is in the European Union, we are part of this world. We are not asking for something unprecedented, because Belarus has always belonged to Europe. The last two hundred years have been forced to remain under the influence of Russia, but our history is much longer, we want to return to our roots, emphasized Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
The leader of Free Belarus said that there is a consensus among Belarusians that their common future is connected with Europe.
– However, Belarusians also want to hear from our international allies that the EU’s doors are open to us and that when we are ready, we will be able to enter, that our partners have started preparing for this step. We have to start working on it now, she noted.
Lukashenko is preparing fake “elections” again
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya warned that the Lukashenko regime plans to hold fake “parliamentary elections” in 2024. She called for people to be aware that it was a scam.
– This is not about elections at all – she emphasized.
– In Belarus we are dealing with a political desert. There are no political parties, no free media, no non-governmental organizations. Thousands of people are in prison. We therefore ask our partners not to recognize these so-called elections – she noted.
Pressure on the regime, sanctions
– It is very important to put pressure on the regime. The idea is to synchronize the sanctions introduced against Russia with those against the Belarusian regime, emphasized Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
– It is important to strive to hold the regime accountable for the crimes committed – she reminded.
In this case, the Belarusian delegation in Warsaw asked the Polish side for help in initiating an international investigation into the crimes of Alyaksandr Lukashenko.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that support is needed for the media and Belarusian organizations.
– We will fight for more help for the Belarusian people – it is difficult to fight when we do not have technical support. We need it for our media, for human rights defenders’ centers, for cultural initiatives and organizations and political structures. We must maintain unity among Belarusians, we must ensure that people do not have to stop their activities, she emphasized.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noted that greater awareness of the importance of the Belarusian issue is very much needed. – We need more international attention. I understand that there are so many things going on around us. However, we must understand that a geopolitical change is taking place in our region, a real geopolitical reshuffle, and Belarus plays a huge, important role in this. We must preserve Belarusian independence and sovereignty, she emphasized.
– People in Belarus fear that in the event of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Belarus may be treated as a consolation prize for Putin – she added.
– Belarus should be part of these talks, but democratic Belarus, not Lukashenko – she emphasized.
The situation of the diaspora: we are not slaves of Lukashenko, he is not “our master”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that a large package of issues to be solved is the problem of the diaspora. He faces many problems.
– The issue of legalization is important. In September last year, Alexander Lukashenko issued a decree prohibiting Belarusian consulates around the world from issuing new passports to Belarusians. Therefore, at least half a million people may soon become stateless. So together with the democratic forces, with the United Transitional Cabinet, we must solve this problem.
Therefore, we work with various countries and try to look for solutions to make the legalization process easier for Belarusians. In parallel, we are working on the so-called Passport of New Belarus. We want to issue our own passport to show all dictators in the world and, above all, Lukashenko, that he is not the master, the owner of people, that we are not his slaves, she emphasized.
– Let him know that he cannot ruin the lives of Belarusians also abroad – she added.
A new kind of torture
– Of course, our main priority is political prisoners. Political prisoners are our pain, and their number is growing in Belarus every day. 15-20 people are detained in Belarus every day. Many people were held in prison, including Andrzej Poczobut. They are kept in complete isolation, without communication, in the mode incommunicado – emphasized Swiatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
– This means that the lawyer cannot visit political prisoners and does not deliver letters to them. So we don’t know if these people are alive, we don’t know what their health condition is.
This is torture, a new type of torture of people, said the leader of the Belarusian opposition.
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Agnieszka Marcela Kamińska, PolskieRadio24.pl, talked to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian opposition
