Фото: Офис Тихановской
“Leaving Belarus does not mean escaping the regime’s persecution. It can still threaten your parents, confiscate your home, cancel your passport and sentence you to years in prison in absentia”. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said this while speaking at the “Transnational Repression in the OSCE Region” event, held as part of the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.
In her report, Tsikhanouskaya called for stronger protection for Belarusians, both those who remain in the country and those forced into exile.
“Governments must provide secure legal status and travel documents for those who cannot safely return. No journalist, activist or former political prisoner should be left without papers because Lukashenka refuses to renew a passport.
People expelled from Belarus after their release must have their rights restored and be free to decide where to live”, Tsikhanouskaya said.
She stressed that extradition requests coming from Belarus must be carefully scrutinized. International police cooperation must under no circumstances become a tool for handing people over to places where they face persecution.
She noted that this year, the extradition or forced return to Belarus of at least 15 people had been prevented. Teams from the Belarusian democratic forces and their partners were involved in these efforts.
According to her, journalists living in exile also need protection from cyberattacks, threats and intimidation. Their safety is important for everyone in Belarus who depends on independent information.
“I want to thank Estonian Ambassador Silver Küngas and all the Nordic and Baltic countries and the OSCE ODIHR for bringing us together, and Poland and Lithuania for helping Belarusians find safety.
I am grateful to the countries supporting the International Humanitarian Fund, which has raised over €3.3 million to help people recover from repression and rebuild their lives.
The regime must stop new political arrests and the persecution of families. Those responsible for repression across borders must be held accountable.
Protecting Belarusians and our independent civil society is an investment in Europe’s security”, Tsikhanouskaya stressed.