11:14: Is the fate of Belarus connected with the fate of Ukraine?
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, says the Belarusian people support Ukraine and believes that the fate of Belarus is tied to the outcome of the war. “Now we must fight not only against the regime, not only for the release of our political prisoners, but also for the Ukrainians, because we understand that the fate of Belarus depends on the fate of Ukraine at this time,” she explains, calling to distinguish the position of President Lukashenko, an ally of Russia, from the position of the population.
“We are being treated like aggressors,” she said, despite the population “fighting against the dictatorship.” “The conditions of detention of political prisoners in our country are much worse than those of ordinary criminals,” said Svyatlana Tikhanovskaya, whose husband Sergei Tikhanovsky, a major opposition figure, is languishing in prison. “People are constantly humiliated physically and morally, they are deprived of medicines, medical care, they are deprived of hygiene products. They are being tortured.” And if Belarus hits hard on Western sanctions, Vladimir Putin’s victory in Ukraine will only strengthen Alexander Lukashenko’s position in his country.