In an address to MEPs on Wednesday, the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, urged Europe to amplify the Belarusian peoples’ voice.

In her speech, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya talked about all those who have been imprisoned, targeted, or even killed by Belarusian security forces, such as human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, blogger Raman Pratasevich, political activist Maria Kalesnikava, art teacher Raman Bandarenka, journalists Daria Tchultsova and Katsiaryna Andreeva, Olympic athlete Krystina Tsimanouskaya and many more, while also addressing the latest crisis involving migrants on the EU-Belarus borders.

“Supposing this abuse of migrants is somehow stopped, do you really assume the regime’s abuses and threats beyond its borders will end there, she asked, warning of an increase in smuggled drugs and other contraband, military provocations, and even nuclear disasters on the EU’s external borders.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya also stressed how the Belarusian democratic movement cannot afford to wait for Europe much longer, that European expressions of solidarity and concern must now be transformed into concrete action and that Europe needs to become more proactive when facing autocracy.

“Let me assure you, sanctions do work. Continue holding a consistent sanctions policy. Sanctions split the elites, destroy corruption schemes and divide people around Lukashenka”, she underlined.

(WBJ)