Belarus opposition leader seeks US support in DC

One day after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Belarus' main opposition leader, Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, spoke at the National Press Club in Washington about conditions in Belarus following last year's disputed election.

"We are sure that Belarus can become, that Belarus will become, a success story," Tskihanouskaya said.

"Belarus will be an example of the transition from autocracy to democracy in the near future," she said.

Tsikhanouskaya was President Alexander Lukashenko’s main challenger in the August 2020 election and was forced to leave the country after the polls that the opposition and the West saw as rigged.

"We understand that only Belarusans themselves can bring the country to democratic changes, but we hope that America will show active, and just not symbolic actions," she told the gathering of journalists.

Tsikhanouskaya is in Washington this week meeting with Biden administration officials and lawmakers to seek their backing.

She described the turmoil inside Belarus as a "fight between the past and the future," and said the Belarus is on the "frontline" of the struggle between autocracy and democracy.

Tsikhanouskaya's visit to Washington comes after authorities in Belarus widened the crackdown last week by raiding the homes and offices of dozens of independent media outlets and civic leaders, prompting condemnations by the United States and European nations.

Overall, 32 Belarusian journalists are in custody, either serving their sentences or awaiting trial, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

During Tuesday's event, Tsikhanouskaya voiced support for press freedom.

"Press should be independent in any country. They don't have to have any obstacles that prevent them to show the truth, even if it's against government," she said.

IMAGE: AP