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Belarus opposition couple visit Warsaw

26.06.2025 14:20
Belarusian opposition leaders Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Siarhei Tsikhanouski have arrived in Warsaw ahead of meetings on Thursday with top Polish officials and a rally in support of political prisoners.
Belarusian opposition figures Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Siarhei Tsikhanouski have arrived in Warsaw for talks with Polish leaders and to take part in a solidarity event for those still jailed by the Alexander Lukashenko regime in their home country.
Belarusian opposition figures Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Siarhei Tsikhanouski have arrived in Warsaw for talks with Polish leaders and to take part in a solidarity event for those still jailed by the Alexander Lukashenko regime in their home country.Photo: PAP/Albert Zawada

On International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Tsikhanouskaya reminded the world that many political prisoners remain behind bars under Alexander Lukashenko's regime in her home country.

"My husband survived five years of isolation and cruelty in the Belarus regime's prisons," Tsikhanouskaya said in an X post, ahead of the visit to Poland.

"Many others still endure it," she added. "If we had given up, Siarhei wouldn’t be free. That’s why we keep going—until everyone is home."

While in Warsaw, Tsikhanouskaya and her husband Siarhei are set to meet with President Andrzej Duda and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to express gratitude for Poland’s role in securing Tsikhanouski’s release.

Tsikhanouski, a prominent pro-democracy activist, YouTuber and outspoken critic of Lukashenko, was freed after spending five years in prison under the strongman's regime.

On Thursday evening, the couple are expected to join a solidarity rally in central Warsaw alongside members of the Belarusian diaspora, advocating for the release of those still imprisoned for their political views.

The pair’s visit to Warsaw comes as more than 1,150 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, according to reports.

In a statement ahead of the trip, Tsikhanouskaya highlighted the case of Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and member of the Union of Poles in Belarus, who remains detained by the Lukashenko regime.

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Source: X/@Tsihanouskaya/@Dz_Kuchynski

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