Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) host Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other members of the Belarusian democratic opposition, Volha Kavalkova and Pavel Latushka, for a debate on the latest political developments and the popular uprising in Belarus, in the European Parliament in Brussels. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the committee and participates in an exchange of views with MEPs. Statements by Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Volha KAVALKOVA and Pavel LATUSHKA, members of the Belarus opposition. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

exchange of views

meeting

EU - Belarus (T)

VAUTMANS, Hilde (Renew, BE)

McALLISTER, David (EPP, DE)

FOTYGA, Anna (ECR, PL)

ARENA, Maria (S&D, BE)

KALNIETE, Sandra (EPP, LV)

AUŠTREVIČIUS, Petras (Renew, LT)

KUBILIUS, Andrius (EPP, LT)

BIEDROŃ, Robert (S&D, PL)

WALLACE, Mick (The Left, IE)

GYÖNGYÖSI, Márton (NI, HU)

SANTOS, Isabel (S&D, PT)

VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL, Viola (Greens/EFA, DE)

BONFRISCO, Anna (ID, IT)

TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Sviatlana (BY)

AFET - Situation in Belarus: exchange of views with Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Volha KAVALKOVA and Pavel LATUSHKA, members of the Belarus opposition

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/9138449/I195142Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Thank you so much. I'm so honoured to be here. Thank you for having me in this institution. And I want to use this time to tell you our story and to tell you about our expectations festival. Looking at me and at all these people, you have to understand that we have been leaving for 26 years under the pressure of regime of dictatorship.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, We all this year, we were afraid all this years you were sleeping. But now the and people have woken up. And seven weeks in a row everyday we are going out for demonstrations. These people protect a protest against falsified elections, against one person, reserved the power. But our peaceful protesters were met with violence. In the prisons, they were tortured, harassed and raped.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Some of them were killed just for they will to live in a free country. But our fight is only a fight for freedom, for democracy and for human dignity. Let me emphasise once again, Belarusan uprising is not a geopolitical revolution. It's not anti Russian or pro-Russian.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, It's not pro European or anti European Union. It is a pro Belarusan revolution, its democratic revolution. Our protest is exclusively peaceful and non violent. We have an example to the world on how to fight for freedom and democracy. Our movement, led by women, is horizontal and grassroots. This summer in you Belarus' emerged Belarus the world has never seen before.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, We have opened an you chapter in our history. Then you, Belarus', will be based on the role of flow in. Then you belarus', we will not tolerate state violence and falsified elections. And you Belarus' is a reliable partner and country respected in the world. My strategy of victory doesn't change since the election campaign. We demand only three basic things. Release political prisoners, stop police violence and conduct free elections to initiate new elections.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, I have created National Coordination Council. This consul aims to be the platform for dialogue. The dialogue does not start only because of Mr. Lukashenko. Lukashenko that doesn't want to talk to a belarus' since he doesn't want dialogue. Instead, he continues crack down arrests. Peaceful protesters intimidate journalists. Members of the council were prosecuted, jailed and forced to leave Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Lukashenko hopes that our protest will fade out. But we will protest as long as it's needed for weeks, months and even years to come if necessary. Belarusian civil never will no longer be hostages. Overcash and his regime. We will no longer live in his prison cell. We will never come back to this state. We used to live for 26 years in jail.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Only that pressure will force the regime to have dialogue with people. This is why we continuously and peacefully protest. We stick with non-violent discipline and we want to keep it such at their release. People are chanting Go away, tribute now and freedom.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, The people of Belarus' will never recognise the results of the election of August nine. Lukashenko lost the remains of his legitimacy and public support. He this brutally clings onto power and he threatens us with war. They will the police loyal to him feel impunity and organise public varnishing operations. I will never forget the voices that I heard near a crest in a prison where detainees were present.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, They raped, tortured. And for you to understand, this is happening in the middle of Europe in 2020. So I proceed to your efforts to help us with basic things, to recognise Mr. Lukashenko illegitimate, to release political prisoners, to introduce individual sanctions against all individuals involved in the election fortifications and political crackdown.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, The resolution of the European Parliament adopted last week was an important step forward. I think it was one of their most important decisions in the history of modern Belarus. I'm thankful you recognised that National Coordination Council initiated by me is the only legitimate body responsible for overseeing a peaceful transition of power.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Please consider creating an international coalition to facilitate negotiations between Lukashenko and the Belarussian people represented by the National Coordination Council. I'm also asking you to demonstrate solidarity with the people, support belarus', civil society and media organisations that remained under constant pressure by authorities.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Consider the criminal investigation against those individuals involved in human rights crimes in belarus' such as rapes and tortures. I have compiled the list of people who participated in the brutal crackdown. Sanctions against them can be adopted under European Magnitsky Act. I ask you not to find this. The dictator dictates a regime and switch belarus' programmes from state to non-state actors.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, I also ask to consider to reconsider partnerships with state organisations close to Lukashenko. Finally, and most importantly, I call on you to work together with us toward a free, fair and transparent election. Elections should pass in accordance with international standards and under the supervision of local and international observers.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Every country should respect the sovereignty of Belarus. Any external interference aiming to undermine your democratic elections or support the current illegitimate regime is unacceptable. But let's remember standing up for human rights and democracy is not an interference into internal Ifan. I hope one day Democratic Belarus' will become an inspiring example for others.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Together we can create this new belarus' that is admired in the world. We stand and we'll stand united because our future is at stake. We ask you to stand united alongside the Belarusian people. We need your support. ... Belarus. Thank you

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Dear friends and colleagues. Thank you very much for the invite and thank you for this opportunity to take the floor in front of you on behalf of the National Carnation Council and on behalf of all the Belarusan people. Who I know is standing up for democratic values and independence of Belarus. Who stand for the restoration of justice and the restoration of democratic values in our country.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, A few words about myself. I was born in Belarus. It's the best country in the world for me. And I'm proud of my country. And I'm proud to be a Belarusian. Unfortunately, the current regime has closed its borders. You. You can not enter Belarus. You cannot see for yourself what has been happening in our country.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But I can tell you that Belarus is emerging as an new European nation. It's a nation of citizens who are taking responsibility for the destiny and future of their country. Today, hundreds of thousands of Belarussians are becoming the leaders of changes. They resist oppression and illegitimate actions on the part of the Lukashenko administration.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Their detainment and arrests of the leaders of our resistance can not kerb their changes in our country because instead of those who have been put into prisons, new members appear. The responsibility of the citizens is a linchpin for stable, democratic changes which will take place in our country.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, The regime is doomed. It has no chance to bring our country back to sleep. The changes are irreversible and they cannot be stopped. Whether people can be shot on the streets or by arrests or harassments, people won't be stopped desperately trying to cling to power. Lukashenko has been crossing the line of inhumanity. He's trying to croak and suppress human dignity.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Yesterday in Grodno, people in masks, in balaclavas. They took a woman on the eighth month month of pregnancy in the prison transport vehicle. And this is not just a single case of violence. People both in authority. They're trying to take children away from those who stand against them.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, It is really unimaginable to see this happening in Europe, in the 21st country. Also, leaders of the opposition have been expelled from the country. First I was arrested and then I was taken by force from my own country.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, And now I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to urge you to express your support to those who are now in prison in Belarus if they are kept in the conditions that can be equal to torture, including [... and dozens of other Belarusians who have been put to prison based on fabricated charges. And they are now being kept hostages of the regime. And this has been happening only because of the Lukashenko regime.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But this inhumane regime would go away, would have gone away had it not received support from the outside for the Europeans. Some diplomats represent Lukashenko as the only what Laurent? The only safeguard for independence. But he was the one who signed the treaty to bring Belarus in a military union with Russia. He suppressed our national language.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, He took to prison those people who are real patriots of Belarus for a long time. On the other hand, Lukashenko has been threatening the Russian leadership by a mythical threat cut stemming from the West, and that's enabled him to get loans and other diplomatic and other support. And he is trying to continue playing his game now.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But obviously, Lukashenko, they are getting tired in the Kremlin with Lukashenko. And we hear that the Russian leadership is pushing their garrison presidents towards a constitutional reform by the Belarusian people have made their choice.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, And this is not for Lukashenko. Svitlana Tsikanouskaya is the elected leader of the Belarusian people. She and the National Guard, the nation council have repeatedly stated that they are willing to conduct a dialogue with a former president on the peaceful transfer of power. But each time Lukashenko responds resulted in suppression, arrests and criminal charges.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, The constitutional reform under Lukashenko is a mission impossible. In order to do that. The current president needs to step down. He needs to retire. He is incapable of conducting a dialogue with his own people. And he has been showing this throughout his entire rule. Last weekend, again, hundreds of peaceful protests.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Hundreds of thousands peaceful protesters took to the streets in capital, in the capital and in small and large cities and towns. But again, instead of the dialogue, people were arrested, detained, harassed, tortured, beaten up. But he can not suppress the voice of the belarus' people. No one can say when exactly the Lukashenko regime will collapse.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But everybody knows that this will happen because then tie Belarusian nation in is against this president, even within the vertical, amongst the force structures. People are either leaving the force structures or are planning on doing that. And Lukashenko is using the rest of the budget to beef up the salaries for the force structures and took on duct concerts for them.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But this will dry out soon, and that will be the end of support from the four structures. Who was the president? The authorities have expelled me from the country, but this changes nothing. I'm asking you on behalf of those who are still there, who continue their fight in our country, you need to give assistance to them primarily.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, And we ask you to go back to the bank, but yet passed memorandum and please launch a dialogue between the Belarusian society and the former president with the help of the U. U.S. and Russia. And if there is a substantial dialogue in place, then there you should provide a substantial financial and organisational support to. And then you democratically elected government of Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, And as of today, we could already speak about the visa liberation regime. That would be a good help. And we ask you to provide support, help to Belarus because the regime has brought to the country to a devastated situation as far as economics go. And in order to help our country to overcome this social economic crisis, we need to insist that all the political prisoners are to be released immediately.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, All the cases of killings and torture of peaceful protesters should be thoroughly investigated by an independent commission that is composed both the representatives of the Belarusan society and international experts. We ask you to immediately respond to each and every violation of human rights in Belarus, to every firing, to every arrest based on political charges.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, You need to introduce targeted economics and political sanctions against those who have been involved in torture and also against those who propagate the official standpoint and repressions. And so all this distance that has been given to Belarus by international institutions should be controlled by the civil society because this assistance should not feed the authorities.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Only the independent media and the civil society are capable of thoroughly controlling this assistance to be adopted and used in accordance with declared objectives. We are also asking you to have a hearing at your national parliaments on the situation in Belarus. Belarus should be included in the agenda of all the democratic nations, please. Alexander Lukashenko has lost his power. He has lost his legitimacy.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Volha KAVALKOVA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, He should not be viewed as the leader of the country or as a national official representative at the international arena as of the 5th of November 2020. So all the statements, all this decrees that he assigns should be not annulled. Thank you for your attention. I also thank you for your support and solidarity with the Belarus. And people say that Belarus long live Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Good afternoon, Dear Chairman and members of the European Parliament. Members of their AFET community.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Unfortunately, our dialogue is taking place at a very difficult time for my motherland to us in Belarus and diplomat who's worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for over 20 years. I would like to remark that together with our European partners, the Belarussian Belarusian diplomats believed in internal transformation and evolution nery reforms and development of the political institutes in Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But we were all mistaken. Our hopes. And dreams are being destroyed in the streets of Belarus' and cities by the police and law enforcement borders, and they're leaving, precedent continues to destroy. So in his own people and key words I'm going to use today will be repressions and solidarity.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, We have seen an unprecedented situation during the presidential elections in August of this year. And the people that have entered the streets of far Belarus with protests. Seven people were killed. Some disappeared. Over 7000 were detained. Over eighteen hundred claims were made on documented fact of violence on the part of law enforcement borders.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Hundreds of people were forced to flee to Lithuania and Poland to get some medical assistance in the 21st century. For the first time in history, we've seen refugees from Belarus. 800 people are now in Lithuania and in Poland over the last weekend. About 900 people were detained during manifestations and on Saturday, officially, over 400 women and girls were detained, including pregnant and elderly women.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, The Constitution is no longer complied with in Belarus, and the Institute of Lawyers has lost its strength. The law doesn't work in Belarus. And recently, the former president confirmed it himself, talking to the people working for the prosecutor's offices. And this is why the authorities are throwing thousands of people into prisons without initiating any legal cases.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Can you imagine anything like that happening in any of the European countries? And it's now we can compare the actions of law enforcement. Workers and law enforcement. Borders with the Nazis and with Goebbels propaganda. And once again, the country that suffered so much in the 20th century is facing a similar situation, the 21st century.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, They're trying to hold to power at any cost. And this cost is people's lives. They are crazy about power. And our initial idea remains the same. Violence should be stopped. Political prisoners should be freed. And there are over 250 of them. And our demand is to initiate a dialogue and to organise new elections. And it's important that the European Union and the European Parliament have supported these expectations of our society.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But at the same time, we should be thinking about getting away from the talk of constitutional reforms because it's just a talk. The authorities are aiming to destroy their diplomatic core of the country. Over 100 diplomats are victims of repressions. But this is happening in other economic areas in the country medicine, sport, industry, mass media,etc.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, The authorities are have become crazy and they are punishing tens of thousands of people just for their. Position and their opinions and Belarussians once again have become a nation, a nation of solidarity. Hundreds of thousands, millions are going are manifesting in the streets. And there are hundreds, thousands of those who were fired by their employers illegally.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But they show solidarity with each other and their authority and claim authorities claim that the coordination council is a legitimate. Hundreds of its members were arrested. But already, nine hundred thousand Belarusians supported the legitimacy of the coordination council. And the people continue voting for them. And as a representative of the praesidium of the Coordination Council, I would like to confirm yet again that we are ready to take the country out of this deep political crisis.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, And as a citizen of Belarus, I am happy that you are planning to introduce sanctions. But at the same time, we expect your assessment of the situation and that you will condemn those who are undertaking these military measures against unarmed people. And your assessment of these actions should also correspond to the expectations of the Belarusian people.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, Can you imagine seeing senior in France or in or stay Austrian resorts, a judge or prosecutor from Belarus who condemned innocent people or a policeman who hit a woman on the face? Or maybe it would be pleasant for you to be next to those who shot at a journalist or made people stay incarcerated without a possibility to go to a tool.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, That or maybe a policeman who heat people who were on their knees in the police at police stations. Would you be pleased to be next to people like that? It's your decision, not ours. Or maybe you will allow it to spend Monu of the European Union on those who funded all of that.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, First of all, those who are responsible for these illegal actions in Belarus should be well aware of the fact that they will be accountable for their actions. And this shouldn't be symbolic. And we members of the president of the Coordination Council say that 250 political prisoners will not be freed without European Union expression.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, It's clear position and we hope that our. That we also know that Belarus' is on the edge and it's very near to the economic collapse. And we would be ready to overcome difficulties if we had any hope to change. But with this authorities, we cannot expect anything like that. And we welcome their Marshall Plan for Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, But the whole of Europe should support it and probably its partners there in Canada, United States, United Kingdom. Thirdly, the coordinating council will be able to present an anticrisis programme. Soon. And it should be implemented in parallel with the reform of the state government and local government and the authorities are increasing the gap and the depth of the economic fall. And I just put Russia outside of the brackets.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, They have a very special position not to listen to the Belarusan society except Lukashenko, in spite of his many lies to Russia. And it was once again confirmed during the elections. And I hope that our Russian partners, in order to keep friendly a relationship, will listen to the voice of the Belarusian people.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Pavel LATUSHKA, Belarus opposition candidate to presidential election, And we do not have any interest in becoming friends with the European Union against Russia or waiting in our relationship with Russia in order to fight the European Union. No, we believe that decisive actions and solidarity will be able to stop the repressions and Belarus will be able to implement its dream of development. Thank you.