Czech Republic. Swiatłana Cichanouska demands sanctions against Belarus, but will not return to Belarus

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Milos Westercil, during a meeting with Swiatlana Cichanouska in Prague, described Lukashenka’s regime as criminal. He also decided that the sanctions applied to Belarus should be as wide as possible, and in his opinion, the minimum ones are sanctions at the EU level. The President of the Czech Senate called Czechanska “already elected president.”

We hope to adopt another package of sanctions,” Chichanowska said. – We will see who will be included in it and whether the list will include companies or organizations. Then we will somehow be able to assess the reaction of the European community – she added. It decided that the Czech Republic would strive to expel Belarus from Interpol and launch an international investigation aimed at identifying those responsible for the repression against Belarusian citizens.

The opposition leader, who has been granted political asylum in Lithuania, said she has no plans to return to Belarus for the time being. “Once I cross the border, I will go to prison immediately,” she said. She noted that it does not make sense at the moment to deprive ourselves of the opportunity to speak on behalf of Belarusians. – If I find that I am needed more in Belarus than abroad, I will return – I assured.

When asked by journalists about her attitude towards Russia, she said that the Kremlin continued to support Lukashenka, but in a less active way than before. – You have to talk to everyone. She stressed that we are not fighting the Kremlin, we are not fighting anyone else, we are fighting the regime.

Chichanowska also appealed to the Czechs to write letters and emails in support of those imprisoned for their political beliefs. In this context, the opposition journalist Raman Pratasevic reported, who was arrested with his partner on May 23 after the emergency landing of a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius in Minsk. “It appears that they were beaten and forced to confess to crimes they did not commit,” she said.

In August 2020, Sichanowska was Lukashenka’s main contender in the presidential election. It was supposed to get about 10 percent of the vote, but the election results officially presented by the system were not recognized by many countries or the European Union. The opposition leader left the country and found political asylum in Lithuania. If she returns to Belarus, she will face three to five years in prison.