Poland in the UK

During the event, Ms Tsikhanouskaya assessed the state of affairs in Belarus and outlined possible future actions that could be taken by the Belarusian people to bring about freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. She also talked about the Belarusian civil society’s opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and answered questions posed by the attendees.

The meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was attended by around 30 representatives of the diplomatic corps in the United Kingdom with the rank of Ambassador or Deputy Head of the Mission as well as representatives of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Speaking at the event, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said: “Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, public opinion has changed, and we see the spark of pro-European movements.” She asked those present to “support the initiatives of civil society” in hopes for a democratic future of Belarus.

Poland’s Ambassador to London Piotr Wilczek, who welcomed Ms Tsikhanouskaya to the Polish Embassy, said: “It has been 1.5 years since Belarusians took to the streets to peacefully protest against the outcome of the illegitimate elections. The regime, afraid of losing power, turned to violence. The authorities committed massive human rights violations. Even now, after time has passed, there are more than 1,000 political prisoners in Belarus, among them people from the Polish diaspora. Despite appalling repressions, Belarusian people have not backed down and for the past months have continued to stand up for their freedom to decide on their own future. Poland will work together with our Belarusian friends and neighbours to ensure their desire for democratic transformation is respected.”

Over a year and a half have passed since the rigged presidential elections in Belarus, which are widely perceived to have deprived Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya of her rightful win as the country’s new leader and which sparked large protests on the streets of Belarusian cities to demand Alexandr Lukashenko’s resignation. The largest and most sustained wave of protests the ex-Soviet nation has ever seen was matched by the most brutal repressions from the security apparatus in the history of the country.

Polish Embassy UK Press Office