Франак Вячорка. Скриншот видео
Franak Viačorka, chief adviser to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, said that the official position of Belarus’s democratic forces toward independent media remains unchanged.
“Our official position, shared by all democratic-force institutions, in support of independent media remains unwavering and is set out in the latest joint resolution. Everything else is the opinion of individuals,” he stressed.
He was referring to the “On Supporting Independent Belarusian Media” resolution, adopted for the 2026 New Belarus conference. The document describes independent media as a necessary condition for society’s access to verified information, free public debate and accountability of political institutions.
The democratic forces call on international partners to provide independent Belarusian media with long-term institutional funding while preserving editorial independence, increase support for digital security and investigative journalism, and provide journalists with legal, social and psychological assistance. The document also calls for expanding cooperation between Belarusian and European media and ensuring independent outlets have access to European programs supporting information resilience and countering disinformation.
Viačorka’s statement came amid public criticism of independent media by Siarhei Tsikhanouski. Earlier, Nasha Niva published an article about Tsikhanouski’s birthday celebration in the United States, describing the event as being held “in grand style.” Tsikhanouski responded by criticizing independent media and suggested reviewing grants and appealing “to our Western partners with a proposal to take into account the quality and responsibility of recipients when making decisions on further funding” for media outlets. Siarhei Tsikhanouski has also become more active on social media, where he has been leaving harsh comments.