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The interview came in the run-up to Ms. Cichanouskaya’s trip to Switzerland, where she said she wanted to urge local authorities to freeze the assets of authoritarian Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenko.
However, he acknowledged that the opposition is losing the battle in the streets.
“We do not have the capacity to combat regime violence against protesters,” he said.
“They have weapons, they have strength, so yeah, right now it looks like we’ve lost the streets,” Cichanouskaya told Le Temps. “The return to democracy will take longer than planned.”
Belarus has been plagued for several months by massive protests against the results of the presidential elections on August 9, which were declared the winners by authoritarian President Lukashenko, who has led the country since 1994.
Her opponents say the election was rigged and that the real winner is political rookie S. Cichanouskaya, who ran in place of her incarcerated husband.
However, Belarusian security forces cracked down on the protesters, detaining them and forcing opposition leaders to leave the country.
No quick fixes
“In Belarus, people want to see the light at the end of the tunnel, think about the day when everything will be fine.” Since they are waiting for a quick solution, now they are waiting for a fantastic plan … But that plan does not exist, “Cichanouskaya told Le Temps.
He urged Belarusians to build structures for “tomorrow’s struggles”, despite feelings of fatigue and fear.
“Our strategy is to be better organized, to constantly pressure the regime until people are ready to return to the streets again, perhaps in the spring,” Cichanouskaya said.
However, he stressed that this must be a peaceful revolution, adding that he does not believe he can ask Belarusians to put themselves in danger.
Cichanouskaya, who currently resides in Lithuania, will travel to Switzerland in March if restrictions related to the pandemic allow.
There, he hopes to meet with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to discuss ways to “restore justice” in his country.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in December, Mr. Bachelet condemned the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus.
It was based on reports that more than 27,000 people had been arrested in the country since the August 9 elections. people, including older people involved in peaceful protests.
The situation in Belarus will also be discussed at the session of the UN Human Rights Council that will begin on Thursday and the Bachelet report on the country will be presented.
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