This archive report was first published on 23 August 2021.
On August 23, 2021, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a Belarusian opposition leader, spoke to DW News about her fight for democracy in her country. Born in Belarus, Tikhanovskaya's husband, a popular blogger, was jailed for his opposition to the country's dictator, Alexander Lukashenko. In a bold move, Tikhanovskaya decided to run in her husband's place in the presidential election, despite having no interest in politics.
With her husband's YouTube channel, 'A Country for Life,' as her platform, Tikhanovskaya connected with ordinary people and gained their support. However, the authorities were not pleased with her candidacy, and she was threatened with imprisonment and harm to her children. Undeterred, Tikhanovskaya continued her campaign, and her message resonated with the people of Belarus.
On election day, thousands of people turned out to vote for Tikhanovskaya, but the results were rigged, and Lukashenko was declared the winner with 80% of the vote. The people of Belarus took to the streets in protest, but they were met with violence and brutality from the authorities. Tikhanovskaya was forced to flee the country, but she remains a symbol of hope and freedom for the people of Belarus.
Today, Tikhanovskaya continues to meet with world leaders and advocate for democracy and human rights in Belarus. She remains committed to her cause and is determined to bring about change in her country. As she said, 'Our revolution is not over. To the international community, we need new and fair elections. They can be run by the OSCE. And we need an investigation into the human rights abuses to my people who have been on the streets for weeks.'
