56 Facts About Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Sviatlana Hieorhiyeuna Tsikhanouskaya is a Belarusian political activist.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was arrested, along with most other opposition leaders, and, as she was unable to file for the presidency on his behalf, Tsikhanouskaya entered herself into the race as a candidate.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya ran on a platform of constitutional reform, seeking free and fair elections with term limits on the presidency, and she pledged to step down once this was implemented.

Since fleeing to Lithuania, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has established an oppositional government.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya established the Coordination Council in 2020 and the United Transitional Cabinet in 2022.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was tried in absentia by the Belarusian government in 2023 and sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's father was a driver at a concrete factory, and her mother was a cafeteria cook.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya grew up in a Soviet prefabricated apartment building, where she spent much of her time reading.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya returned over the following three summers, and she felt that Ireland was a more cheerful place than Belarus.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's son was born mostly deaf, and much of her time went to assisting him.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya moved from Minsk to Gomel where he could receive treatment, including a cochlear implant.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya retired so she had more time to raise her children.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya pulled her children out of school when the COVID-19 pandemic developed, as the government had not taken any prevention measures.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya became a prominent opposition leader through his YouTube and Telegram presence, as well as his organization of political protests.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya moved to challenge Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election, and he was arrested for his protest activity days before the filing deadline.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attempted to file for her husband by proxy but was rejected.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya later said that she did this solely as a show of support for her husband.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya registered as an Independent candidate on 14 July 2020.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya sometimes brought a life-size cutout of Tsikhanouskaya when he campaigned.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya aligned with Veronika Tsepkalo, the wife of opposition candidate Valery Tsepkalo who had fled the country, and Maria Kalesnikava, the campaign manager of opposition candidate Viktar Babaryka, who was arrested.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had grown more unpopular because of his mishandling of economic issues and his dismissive response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus.

Lukashenko allowed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's candidacy, believing that as a woman she was not a significant political threat.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya described herself as an "accidental candidate", and she said that she would only hold office until the Lukashenko dictatorship was seen to an end.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's role has been compared to Joan of Arc by the Belarusian press.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said of the campaign that "every day was full of fear".

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya received support from 2010 presidential candidate Mikola Statkevich, and president of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, Ivonka Survilla.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's shared experience with the other wives of arrested dissidents earned her many supporters among women.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had no political experience, and she had to be taught how to speak to the media.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she then decided to persevere in her campaign, saying that "there must be a symbol of freedom".

Worried for the safety of her children, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya had them hidden abroad in Lithuania.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that she ran for president out of love, to free her husband from prison.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya ran on only three political issues: the release of political prisoners, constitutional limitations on the presidency, and new elections.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya vowed to move away from the union treaty with Russia.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said that her main goal was to establish free and fair elections.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya viewed the election as illegitimate due to the government's refusal to register Lukashenko's main political opponents as candidates.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya pledged to deliver a plan for transparent and accountable elections within six months of taking office.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya planned to offer interest free loans to small and medium-sized businesses, cancel state inspections of private entities, and provide legal protection for foreign investors.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya planned to allow profitable state owned enterprises to continue to operate, while requiring unprofitable state owned enterprises to take advice from outside professionals.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was given an ultimatum to either leave the country, or to go to prison and have her children taken.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya attempted to negotiate the release of her husband in exchange for ending her challenge and leaving the country.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's offer was refused, but instead she was able to negotiate the release of her campaign manager, Maria Moroz.

On 11 August 2020, Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius announced that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was safe in Lithuania while acknowledging that she had "few options".

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya felt that she had "betrayed" her supporters by leaving the country.

Days after she left the country, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya declared herself the "leader of democratic Belarus".

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya considered herself to be an "interim-leader" of Belarus, but she has not claimed an entitlement to the presidency.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has indicated that she will not seek the presidency again, instead continuing her diplomatic work until fair elections can be held.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya appealed to the international community to recognise her as the winner, traveling to various European capitals and meeting with world leaders, including President Joe Biden, Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Emmanuel Macron, President Ursula von der Leyen, President Charles Michel, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has sought sanctions against Belarus, speaking with world leaders in an effort to get them applied.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has denied that she leads a government in exile, saying that she wished to create a "permanent opposition inside Belarus".

On 9 August 2022, at a conference held in Vilnius, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya announced the creation of the United Transitional Cabinet.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has objected to the international framing of Belarus as merely a vassal state of Russia, alleging that it downplays the severity of Lukashenko's rule.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has said that the dissidents must wait until "the right moment", when instability allows for a change in power.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya argues that the existence of a dictatorship in Belarus threatens the safety not only of Ukraine, but of the other states bordering Belarus: Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, as Belarus has been used by Russia to attack neighboring countries like Ukraine.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya supports continued political and economic involvement by the West in support of Ukraine's efforts in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has warned of war fatigue stymieing Western support for Ukraine and Belarusian dissidents.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was on the 2020 list of the BBC's 100 Women, announced on 23 November 2020, and was included in the 2020 edition of The Bloomberg 50.