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“For months, the people of Belarus have been boldly and persistently calling for free and fair elections and an end to state violence and repression,” Steinmeier said. “They need and deserve our attention, help and support.” Before his appointment with Steinmeier, Tichanowskaya had also met with the president of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU).
After massive police violence against protesters in Belarus, the opposition demanded that Germany lift the visa requirement. The civil rights activist told SPIEGEL in an interview that persecuted people would have a chance to get to safety. “When people are locked up and beaten, that is the moment when Germany and other countries should think about it: Are they careful or do they follow the principles of democracy?”
The 38-year-old also called for EU sanctions against the power apparatus of head of state Alexander Lukashenko to be expanded. “The punitive measures seem ridiculous when we see how many people have been arrested so far. It has been more than 30,000 since August. «There are many words of support. “But we need action.”
Dozens of arrests after weekend protests
During protests against Lukashenko last Sunday, according to the Interior Ministry in Minsk, 271 people were jailed for participating in unauthorized demonstrations.
Thousands of people participated, less than in the fall. “Even if the protests in the streets now subside in winter, we will survive and come back even stronger in the spring when the weather improves,” Tichanovskaya said. “We can win, I think.”
Belarus has undergone a serious internal political crisis since the controversial presidential elections on August 9. After 26 years in power, Lukashenko had been confirmed for a sixth term with 80.1 percent of the vote. The EU no longer recognizes him as president. For the opposition, Tichanovskaya is the real winner. She fled to the EU country, Lithuania, after the vote.
