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“What I want to say is that there are now a lot of political prisoners in Belarus,” Tikhanovskaya said via video conference. “They are in prison without any court, and they are only for them, I do not know, what is going on in Belarus, for their desire to talk about their desire to live in an independent country.
“After the demonstration,” he said in stunned but clear English, “we still don’t know where about 70 people are and they’ve missed out.”[ing] And that’s a big problem for us because it shouldn’t be a European country in the 21st century that people miss.[ing] And the authorities do nothing to find them.
“Everyone has seen all the violence committed by our officers, our police have shown commitment to all these peaceful people,” Tikhanovskaya said. “And not a single criminal case has been filed to investigate this. You know these crimes, as they are normal. No, it’s not normal and a case should be opened against every policeman who kills this policeman.”
One day after thousands of people took to the streets in Minsk again, Tikhonovskaya spoke to Politiko, and Lukashenko deployed a large contingent of riot police, and surrounded key buildings, including the residence of the beleaguered leader celebrating his 66th birthday.
She expressed confidence that protests would continue with the labor strike until Lukashenko relinquished power, and suggested that his opponents were ready for a long struggle that could take new forms.
“Strikes are extremely important and there can be different forms of strikes,” he said. “There are a lot of ways, and it’s not just through demonstrations.
“I know this won’t stop.” “You should understand … we woke up … we won’t accept it anymore.”
In the interview, Tikhnovskaya reaffirmed his commitment to lead the country only to new, free elections, and said he had no plans to serve long as president. She said the release of political prisoners, including her husband Sergei Tikhanovsky, as well as the replacement of the country’s entire Central Election Commission has been a top prerequisite for a new vote.
He acknowledged that he was now a “national leader” and “I consider myself a nationally elected president,” but said: “I do not feel comfortable in this position.
“I understand that people have voted for me,” he said. “But they voted for me, not as president, they voted for me as a person who will lead the country to new elections.
“I am not going to run in the new elections and I do not have the right to run because I promised my people that I would not run,” he said. “My mission will be over … when we organize these elections.”
She added that even after her release from prison, it would be up to her husband to decide whether she wanted to run for president and she said she was not sure she was fully aware of the latest developments in the country following her arrest.
As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and others tried to sue, Tikanovskaya sought to portray Russia and the former Soviet territories as a domestic political issue without a former geopolitical statement against the West.
She expressed relatively little concern about Russian intervention and seemed out of her way to avoid provoking the Kremlin, avoiding criticizing the Russian government over the poisoning of anti-corruption leader Alexei Navalny. President Vladimir Putin.
“Of course we are against such cases, any violence, any poisoning of the people, it should not be solved like this, it is absolutely inhumane,” he said of Naval, who is currently undergoing medical treatment in Germany. “But I don’t know, I can’t talk about this, because this case should be properly investigated. And I can’t convict anyone without an investigation.”
Tikhnovskaya said it was up to foreign political leaders, including EU leaders, to impose sanctions on Belarus, and that it was up to Lukashenko to personally decide whether to face sanctions. And when asked if Lukashenko should be brought to justice before an international tribunal in The Hague, he paused.
“You know, I don’t think I’m ready to answer this question openly because I think at least at the moment, at the moment, the Belarusian people have a responsibility to stand up for their freedom, for their rights. And you know. I have to think about your question, because I’ve never thought about this problem from this point of view. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm, I’ll think about it. “
He said the decision by Lukashenko’s regime to strip many foreign journalists of their credentials was indicative of the government’s efforts to hide evidence of police violence and other abuses. And he said opposition forces would remain peaceful and ready to negotiate with anyone in the event of a new round of free, fair elections.
He also defended his decision to go to Lithuania, saying it was necessary not only for his personal safety but also to communicate with international leaders and to disclose the plight of his supporters. However, despite expressing gratitude for the support of outside powers, he requested that Belarus be allowed to remain on its own.
“We are peaceful people and we need nothing but to solve this problem,” he said. “We want these people to go and build our country with a new president. It’s not about material politics. It’s our internal matter and we respect our sovereignty. We ask every country – but if we need any help. If so, in these negotiations, if we need mediators, we will just say be ready to help. “
