Tsikhanouskaya Calls on Democratic Countries to Unite at Freedom Summit in Vilnius

Reform.news Editorial Team · 15 October 2026, 15:44

https://reform.news/en/tsikhanouskaya-calls-on-democratic-countries-to-unite-at-freedom-summit-in-vilnius/

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered the keynote address at the Vilnius Freedom Summit in Vilnius on October 15, calling on democratic countries to maintain unity and respond decisively to the actions of dictatorial regimes.

The summit was organized by Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Freedom House. Participants include representatives of democratic governments, human rights defenders, former political prisoners, and civil society representatives from Europe and Latin America.

Other participants include Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, Freedom House head Jamie Fly, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Ukrainian journalist and former prisoner at the Izolyatsia detention facility in Donetsk Stanislav Aseyev, and representatives of democratic movements in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

In her speech, Tsikhanouskaya said authoritarian leaders were trying to divide democratic countries and exploit their weaknesses.

“And the best response from democracies is to show their teeth. To show their strength. To support one another. For us Belarusians, as for many other peoples, Europe is our goal. Europe is our family,” she emphasized.

Summit participants are discussing measures to support political prisoners and human rights defenders, including their release, rehabilitation, and long-term assistance after their release. Another topic is countering cooperation between authoritarian regimes, including how Europe and the United States can jointly respond to the exchange of surveillance technologies and methods of repression, sanctions evasion, disinformation, and the persecution of people abroad.

The summit aims to develop practical recommendations for governments and international organizations on supporting democratic movements and protecting people from repression.