Фото: Офис Тихановской
During her visit to the Munich Security Conference, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a meeting of the international Women Political Leaders network. The Women Political Leaders event was held on the sidelines of the conference.
According to her Office, the discussion alongside Tsikhanouskaya included former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins and the Council of Europe’s Special Envoy on the Situation of Ukrainian Children Thordis Gylfadottir.
“It is important to put pressure on dictators while at the same time promoting democratic values. I ask you simply to balance this pressure with support for people. This is so important for those fighting for freedom — to feel that they are not alone, that they have not been abandoned, that they have not been forgotten. Because every act of solidarity, every step of support, is like recharging our battery and does not give us the chance to give up,” Tsikhanouskaya said.
Her speech focused on democracy under pressure and on how the international community can support democratic movements. According to her, the most effective support is that which strengthens people: a principled stance on falsified elections, non-recognition of dictatorships, isolation of regimes rather than people, as well as support for independent media, human rights defenders, cultural initiatives, and the families of political prisoners.