This archive report was first published on 23 August 2020.
On August 23, 2020, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the Belarus opposition figurehead, called on pro-democracy protesters to maintain momentum in their fight for rights, stating that President Alexander Lukashenko had 'no choice' but to engage with the opposition.
Tikhanovskaya made these remarks in an interview with AFP in Vilnius, Lithuania, where she had fled after the August 9 election, which she claims she won.
She praised Belarusians for losing their fear and standing up for their rights, saying, 'I am so proud of Belarusians now because after 26 years of fear they are ready to defend their rights.'
Tikhanovskaya urged protesters to continue their struggle, saying, 'It's really important now to continue to be united in the struggle for the rights.'
Opponents of President Lukashenko have organized strikes and massive demonstrations in Belarus, the largest in the country's recent history, to protest his re-election and demand that he step down.
Tikhanovskaya emphasized that the protesters are not a minority, but rather the majority of Belarusians who will not back down, saying, 'They have to understand that we are not a protest movement. We are people of Belarus and we are a majority and we will not step away.'
