Svjatlana Tsihanouskaja, the leader of the democratic opposition in Belarus, says in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat that she believes democracy will arrive in Belarus before Russia. “Dictators are not forever,” says Tsihanouskaja about Lukashenka's future.
Helsinki On Thursday, the cause of democratic Belarus was sought to be raised, when dozens of representatives of the country's democratic opposition visited Finland.
The leader of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus also appeared at the Democratic Belarus seminar in the Small Parliament Svyatlana Tsihanouskayaknown as the face of the democratic opposition in exile.
Tsihanouskaja has tirelessly toured Europe speaking about the importance of supporting democracy in Belarus. In her opening speech in Helsinki, Tsihanouskaja described Finland's history as an example for Belarus.
“Finland's example gives us hope and inspiration. Finland's experience shows us that transformation is possible, that a nation can emerge from the shadows of a larger power. A free Belarus is not just a dream,” Tsihanouskaja said.
Tsihanouskajan according to the path towards a democratic Belarus is long and difficult. However, in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, he says that he believes that democracy is closer to reality for Belarusians than for Russians.
“I really believe that Belarus can change before Russia.”
Tsihanouskaja, from the Western countries that support Belarus' democracy, says in an interview with HS that she hopes for a stricter line. According to him, there are still loopholes in the sanctions, which the autocratic leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Russia Vladimir Putin can get around the community.
The autocratic leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, in Minsk in August 2023.
in Belarus new laws have been enacted, which transparently aim to undermine the power of Lukashenka, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for decades, and to fight for democratic alternatives like Tsihanouskaja.
The new law guarantees the president and his family lifelong immunity from prosecution, reports the news agency Associated Press.
In an interview with HS, Tsihanouskaja, who visited Finland, regards the new law as an idle gesture, with which Lukashenko tries to escape his responsibility.
“Of course, Lukashenko is afraid of being held accountable for his crimes. He knows he has committed many crimes. Since the first years of his administration, political opponents have disappeared and we know that they have been killed.”
According to Tsihanouskaja, the mountains of evidence about the murders and torture committed by Lukashenko's regime are enormous, and the dictator will not be able to escape his crimes if a democr
atic government is established in the country.
“Lukašenka realizes that he is being held accountable for his crimes, and he wants to escape his responsibility. But no immunity will protect him from our country's justice.”
Svjatlana Tsihanouskaja at the press conference with the chairman of the Finnish delegation of the Council of Europe, MP Kimmo Kiljunen (sd).
Lukashenko throughout the reign, Belarus has been an authoritarian country, but the country's administration gave up the last facade of democracy when Lukashenko secured his continuation in power in the 2020 presidential elections.
According to international parties and the opposition, the election result was falsified and Tsihanouskaja was the democratically elected leader of Belarusians. The election result ignited a wave of protests by pro-democracy Belarusians, which were severely suppressed.
Lukashenko's regime filled its prisons with political prisoners, and the democracy activists who escaped imprisonment fled abroad.
Belarus' new law is also tailored against Tsihanouskaia and other democratic politicians in exile. The law prevents the presidential election candidacy from people who have had a residence permit abroad.
“Lukašenka is of course afraid of people who fled his oppression, who are very active in the international arena,” Tsihanouskaja tells HS.
According to Tsihanouskaja, any law enacted in Belarus after the fraudulent elections of 2020 is not legitimate, but only serves Lukashenka's personal power.
in Belarus there will be parliamentary elections next month and presidential elections next year. According to Tsihanouskaja, there is going to be a “ritual” that will push Lukashenko.
“We live in a political desert in Belarus. There are no prerequisites for elections. Party leaders are in jail. These so-called elections have nothing to do with real elections,” Tsihanouskaja answered HS at the press conference.
The administration of Belarus does not seem to be interested in assuring the neighboring countries about the rest. For OSCE election observers has not woken up call for next month's parliamentary elections.
Svjatlana Tsihanouskaja in Helsinki. The opposition leader carries a folder with a picture of her husband, Sjarhei Tsihanouski, imprisoned in Belarus.
Tsihanouskajan standard topics include the plight of political prisoners in Belarus, which he also brought up in Helsinki.
The topic is personal to Tsihanouskaja, as her husband is one of the country's more than 1,500 political prisoners. Tsihanouskaja's political career began when she stood up for her imprisoned husband Sjarhei Tsihanouskin candidate for the position in 2020.
Tsihanouski appeared to be alive with the release of Belarus last summer on videobut there is hardly any information about the well-being of political prisoners.
When HS's reporter asks Tsihanouskaja if she still believes she will meet her husband, who is serving a long prison sentence, Tsihanouskaja intervenes in her choice of words.
“It's not about faith, or hope, or a dream. This is hard, everyday work. I am sure that I will return home and see my husband and my country again.”
“I don't know how long it will take – but dictators don't last forever.”
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