Award ceremony of the 2020 Sakharov Prize during the plenary session (14-18/12) of the European Parliament, mainly in Brussels. The democratic opposition in Belarus is awarded in a ceremony in the European Parliament, in Brussels. David SASSOLI, EP President, makes the opening statement followed by the statement by Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Brussels

statement

plenary session

EU - Belarus (T)

ceremony

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

Sakharov Prize

TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Sviatlana (BY)

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 2020 (T)

Belarusian Democratic Opposition

Award of the Sakharov Prize 2020: opening statements by David SASSOLI, EP President, and Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Ladies and gentlemen, my dear fellow Members, Presidents of the Institutions and Authorities, I am very much honoured and delighted to welcome the laureates of the Sakharov Prize of the European Union

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, They represent the Democratic Opposition in Belarus, and I extend the welcome to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,Veranika Tsapkala, who are here with me on the podium.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, I'd also like to extend a welcome to Siarhei Dyleuski, Ales Bialiatski and Stsiapan Putsila, and I also want to extend a warm greeting to Svetlana Alexievich, who is watching on line like many of the Members of the European Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Unfortunately, not everybody could be with us today. Sergei Tikhanovski is still in jail. Solely for the crime of wanting to assert his right to stand in elections on the same is true for Mikola Statkevich and Mariya Kalesnikava, who are represented by their family members here today, Maria Adamovich and Tatiana Khomich.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, And I invite, you know, to reflect on this prise, I am much honoured to have you with me today in the European Parliament. Over the last months, you have showed the world what it means not to give up.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, You have defended your rights and you have not given up the struggle, despite the pain, suffering and the fear. As Nelson Mandela said, courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. Your courage and the strength of your spirit have shown the way to revolution, which has taken power in the country in 2020.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, And we pay tribute to you, to your resistance and to your perseverance for no for for us. The awarding of the Sakharov Prize is an important moment. Human rights defenders and activists for democracy are a model for us and as an indication of the high esteem in which we hold them, we have organised the ceremony for the Sakharov Prize despite the current difficulties.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, The members of the Parliament from the 27 Member States are in part connected with us online, and some of them are here today in the chamber to congratulate you and hear from you. In the times of social media, it's difficult to cover up information and I would like to transmit to you, but also to all of the citizens in Belarus the fact that we are fully aware of what is going on in your country.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, We can see your courage. We can see the courage of women in Belarus. We can see the suffering of the people. We see the unspeakable abuses and we see the violence. Your aspirations and your determination to live in a democratic country in freedom inspires us. We support you in your struggle.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, I would like to pay a special tribute to our laureates and to the strength that they have shown, regardless of how brutal and ruthless the methods used by the government might be. And no matter how great the fear that has not been able to stand in the face of the enduring protests of all of the Belarusian people, we have awoken and we will not go back to sleep.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, That is what you said in the during the marches for unity. And that is true. It is true that Belarus is no longer afraid and this is something which the authorities and the government have understood the Belarusian population has shown. But no authoritarianism can stop the change and the opening of a new chapter in your history.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Ladies and gentlemen, your struggle is our struggle. And it's not the first time that we give a collective prise to the laureates from Belarus. In 2004, the Sakharov prize was given to the Belarusian Association of Journalists for defending the freedom of the press. I would like to congratulate them on their constant commitment to provide information and also for the spirit of sacrifice that they have shown in recent months.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, In 2006, we awarded the prize to Alexander Milinkevich, who at the time was the leader of the United Opposition Forces for Democracy in Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, The message of the European Union is clear. The citizens of Belarus must be able to fully enjoy the democratic rights and live in freedom in the European Union. It is our moral duty to support them. Furthermore, we have to support all of those throughout the world who are carrying out the same fight.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, Before I give the floor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, I would like also to congratulate and send a message of support to the other finalists for the Pize this year, the environmental activists from Guapinol and Berta Caceres from Honduras to Monseigneur Najib Michaeel, the Archbishop of Mosul and I cannot finish without mentioning our finalists for the Sakharov Prize who are still imprisoned and to call for their liberation: Ilham Tohti, Raif Badawi and Nasrin Sotoudeh, who has just been imprisoned again despite her fragile health by the Iranian authorities.

SOUNDBITE (Original), David SASSOLI, EP President, We salute all of them, and we will always stand with them. Thank you very much for listening to me. And I will now give the floor to Sviatlava Tsikhanouskaya for her speech.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Dear Members, dear Mr. President, Members of the European Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen, this year the world has seen Belarus awakening. We stood for our freedom, dignity, national identity, but we faced the brutal nature of the regime.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Two realities confronted peaceful, bright people with flags and flowers against armed men in black, hiding their faces behind balaclavas. We feel humbled that our star of resistance touched so many people across the globe on your way to the European Parliament, you could see a shocking photo on the facade of the building, a woman in white falling down to your knees before the riot police.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, It's not a wartime movie scene. It's a peaceful Belarus in 2020: people locked inside a cathedral by special forces. It's a peaceful Belarus. Detainees marked with different colours to the to determine how severely they should be beaten by the police officers. And it is a peaceful Belarus. Deliberately infecting prisoners with Covid-19. It is a peaceful Belarus in the heart of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Fear is what one feels here, those stories. I'm one of the thousands of Belarusians who used to be afraid and invisible wall of fear was built around us, this world of fear held us back for almost three decades. But this year, everything has changed.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, This year, we are united in our aspiration for change. United we believed that this wall of fear can be taken down brick by brick. United. We overcome our fear on the way to freedom, day by day, week by week, month by month. The photo on the facade of the European Parliament is not a story of fear.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, It is a story of hope, courage and freedom. For the third time in 20 years, Belarusians have been honoured with the Sakharov freedom of thought prize. What is a better recognition that we are free thinkers? What is a better motivation for us to keep going?

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, We are bound to win and we will win a simple wish to walk freely in the streets of our cities and towns keeps us going. Desire to celebrate holidays with our families keeps us going. Dream of a better future for Belarus' keeps us going.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Belarus where justice and truth prevail. Belarus that our children can be proud of. I'm endlessly honoured to speak in front of you will receive this prize together with brave Belarusians, Mariya Kalesnikava, Veranika Tsapkala, Svetlana Alexievich, Volha Kavalkova, Ales Bialiatski, Mikola Statkevich, Sergei Tskinanovski, Sergei Delievski, Stsiapan Putsila and all the members of the Coordination Council.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, But we are not alone here today beside us, thousands of Belarusians who inspire us give us strength and hope. Many of them are not here today. Our courage, women workers, students, doctors, teachers, lawyers, writers, journalists and activists of all of them in Belarus fighting for our freedom. It is to them that this prise belongs.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Last Sunday, I met with our distinguished Belarusian writer, Svetlana Alexievich, who is with us remotely today, Svetlana received the Nobel prise for telling the stories of little big men in the light of historic events. This is how she created a monument to suffering and courage in our time. For me, such little big man is each and every Belarusian who take part in this peaceful protest against violence and lawlessness.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Each of them is a hero. Each of them is an example of courage, compassion and dignity to me. Freedom is made of simple things and often requires fearless resistance. For Aleksander Talakoski , it was protesting against the falsified election.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, He stood raise in his bare hands in front of men with rifles, and he was shot dead. Fearless he was. For the artist Raman Bandarenka and it was going out to protect the national symbols in the courtyard where neighbours gather he was kidnapped and beaten to death in the police office. Fearless he was.

SOUNDBITE (Original),  Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Journalist Kastilina Balisivitch and doctor [...] dared to unveil the truth about this murder by the regime cronies, these prarie cost him the freedom. Fearless, they are. Natalia [...] couldn't stay on the sidelines and came back to Belarus after living abroad for many years out of solidarity, she participated in peaceful protests and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for taking the mask of the police. Fearless she is.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Freedom is victory over fear. Seventy three year old Nina Baginskaya. Seventy three years old, Nina Baginskaya has become a symbol of our struggle, despite countless detentions and intimidation, she has been protesting against injustice for 30 years already, often alone, truly free, she is. Mikola Statkevich, Mikola Statkevich was a presidential candidate in the 2010 election.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, He has been imprisoned and recognised as a political prisoner for the third time in 15 years. His commitment to the values of freedom is something that no prison sentence can take away truly free. He is my friend Mariya Kalesnikava tore apart your passport and chose prison over exile to remain in Belarus with our people truly free, she is. My thoughts are with your every day.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, My husband, Sergi Tikhanovski decided to tell the truth no matter the cost. For that, he was thrown in jail on trumped up charges. He hasn't seen his family for seven months already. But these are only some of the courageous people of our European nation is extremely proud of.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Freedom is also universal, Belarusians have been marching every week since the 29th August election, they march for their future and the future of those who cannot be there. They march for the freedom and dignity of Belarusians, of Europeans, yours and ours, without free Belarus. Europe is not fully free either.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, We ask Europe and the whole world to stand with Belarus. We call Europe to be brave in their decision and support the people of Belarus now, not tomorrow and not someone in the future standing for human rights. And democracy is not interference, but it is a duty of each self and country. Your solidarity and your voice are important, but it is actions that matter.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Please be there for the sins and be assured that Belarusians will do the same for you in the future.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, I have only one wish this year. I want every Belarusian who is now in jail or was forced to live in exile to return home. The third Sakharov Prize will mark a new beginning for Belarus.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, Nelson Mandela received the Prize in 1988, together with the Soviet dissident Anatoly Marchenko, said: I learnt that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Sviatlana TSIKHANOUSKAYA, Belarussian Democratic Opposition, He believed that brave of those who conquer their fear, only united. We can fully conquer fear on our long path to freedom and build a new Belarus. Every country has its own path to democracy, and this is ours. Long live Europe, Long live Belarus. Thank you.