Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Five years ago, I addressed Belarusians for the first time as a presidential candidate on state TV. It was a time of great hope and great responsibility, both for the people of Belarus and for me personally. The values we believed in then still guide us today. #StandWithBelarus

Belarusians of Warsaw 🤍❤️🤍 held a solidarity action this weekend in support of the imprisoned @viasna96 team. Human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Uladzimir Labkovich, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski remain behind bars for their work.

A former political prisoner tells how Maria Kalesnikava—sick, malnourished and subjected to inhumane treatment—still found a way to say: “We will win.” Even behind bars, she lifts others up. The regime couldn’t break her spirit. We will never stop fighting for her freedom.

Ihar Losik must be released immediately and unconditionally – like all political prisoners in Belarus, including 37 other journalists. Ihar is innocent. He has a 6-year-old daughter he hasn't seen in years. Statements like this ⬇️ create pressure on the regime to free people.…

A letter can bring light into the darkest place. Write to a political prisoner in Belarus—let them know they are not alone. Your words can break through prison walls and give them hope. Here's how: dissidentby.com/en/letter politzek.me/en/letter spring96.org/en/news/101367…

For 31 years, Lukashenka has clung to power, destroying our parliament, jailing opponents, and silencing those who dare to resist. He froze Belarus in time. But through it all, we never gave up. We still fight for our freedom, for justice, for a European future.

Happy National Day to our friends in 🇧🇪 Belgium! We’re grateful for your principled support for the people of Belarus in our struggle for freedom. Our Mission in Brussels symbolizes hope, solidarity, and our European future.

“Belarus can be a success story for President Trump,” @Tsihanouskaya said. “[A] free, independent Belarus is in the interest of the USA as well.” politico.com/news/magazine/…

On July 20, 2016, Belarusian-born journalist Pavel Sheremet was killed by a car bomb in Kyiv. He was threatened and prosecuted in Belarus for exposing the truth and challenging Lukashenka’s regime. His killers remain unpunished. We remember his courage and honor his memory.

My husband was freed. But over 1,100 political prisoners remain in Belarus. Lukashenka wants to trick the West into thinking he’s changing. But he’s still Putin’s puppet, and repression hasn't stopped. Thanks to @LeoCendro & @theipaper for the interview. inews.co.uk/news/world/put…

Interview today on Danish broadcast ⁦@DRBreaking⁩ today with ⁦@Tsihanouskaya⁩ and ⁦@tsikhanouski_s⁩ about the time in prison, the release and their joint and continued fight dr.dk/nyheder/udland…

Two visions for our country exist today. One Belarus is held hostage by dictators. The other lives in the hearts of millions who stood up in 2020 and voted for democratic change. We are not Russia’s province. We are a sovereign European nation of freedom-loving people.

In 2020, the world witnessed our peaceful uprising in Belarus — unarmed people standing up to a dictator. The streets may be quiet now, but our resistance never ended. Belarusians have not stopped fighting for freedom. And we will not stop until our country is finally free.

For those who live in freedom, it’s hard to grasp what dictatorship truly means. For Belarusians, it means living in constant fear and danger. Don’t turn your back on those who fight tyranny. Isolate the regime—not the people. We are Europeans on the frontline of freedom.

I welcome the approval of the 18th EU sanctions package against Russia. By sanctioning oil, banks, and enablers, Europe strikes directly at Putin’s war machine. Lukashenka remains complicit in this aggression. The only way to stop dictators is to raise the cost of their crimes.

Today, journalist Ihar Illiash is spending his birthday as a political prisoner — jailed simply for doing his job. His wife, journalist Katsiaryna Bakhvalava, is also behind bars. They are two of 38 media workers imprisoned in Belarus. This is how repression breaks families.

Nelson Mandela taught the world that even decades of imprisonment cannot break the human spirit. His fight for dignity and justice inspires all who face tyranny. On #MandelaDay, I think of the political prisoners in Belarus who hold onto their humanity in inhuman conditions.

Don’t be fooled — the violence of the Belarus regime never stopped. Repressions, torture, and arrests continue every day. According to human rights defenders, several hundred people have been charged with criminal offenses in recent weeks for participating in the 2020 protests.

A heartfelt thanks to 🇩🇪 @zeitonline—and to @AliceBota and @fraeuleinfroehl—for making the journey to Vilnius to speak with me and my husband @tsikhanouski_s and share our story with the world. zeit.de/2025/30/sergej…