Democratic Forces Amplify International Pressure on Belarus Regime: Solidarity Campaign, Tribunals, and Cooperation with European Allies

Democratic forces initiated a campaign of solidarity with political prisoners, drawing significant international attention to the situation in Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s coalition is striving to increase international pressure on the regime by prioritizing the agenda of the international investigation and the creation of a tribunal against Lukashenka.

Democratic forces have managed to strengthen their influence at the European level, causing a nervous reaction from the regime’s Foreign Ministry. The leader of democratic Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, spoke at the meeting of the PACE Standing Committee in Reykjavik and subsequently discussed with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe the tribunal for Lukashenka and the collaborative work between the democratic forces and this intergovernmental organization. The Council recognized the fact of illegal movement of Ukrainian children to Belarus.

The communication between civil society and democratic forces with the official government in Warsaw is yielding results, as the Polish leadership has started giving prominence to the Belarusian issue on the international stage.

During the summit of the heads of states and governments of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik, President of Poland Andrzej Duda emphasized the need to include a free Belarus as a strategic priority within the European family.

Furthermore, Poland is actively promoting the development of a unified European Union plan for the protection of the Belarusian language and culture.

Civil society continues to draw international attention to the plight of political prisoners and the repressive actions in Belarus. Belarusians around the world organize events and demonstrations on the Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners.

The State Department spoke about political prisoners in Belarus on the eve of the Day of Solidarity.

France has offered Belarus to initiate the release of political prisoners on humanitarian grounds.

The Washington Post, an American publication, published an editorial column about the Belarusian political prisoner Viktar Babaryka.

Democratic forces are intensifying their communication with individual European governments to advance the sanctions agenda. During a meeting with the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya urged not to soften the sanctions against Belarusian potash.

Democratic forces are gradually improving their relations with the official government in Kyiv. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Volodymyr Zelensky met during the presentation of the Charlemagne Award in Aachen, Germany.

In conclusion, the Democratic forces will continue to strengthen their cooperation with the leadership of Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine, in order to consolidate their international positions.