VILNIUS, Lithuania — Belarusian opposition leader and former stay-at-home mother Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, 38, is attempting what nobody has tried in her country during the 26-year regime of Russian-backed dictator Alexander Lukashenko. She is fighting for free and fair elections.
Widely believed to have won fraudulent Aug. 9 elections after running for president in place of her jailed husband, Tikhanovskaya is now backed by a growing number of countries that have refused to recognize Lukashenko’s inauguration. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Belarusian protesters continue to shout her name and face brutal repression each weekend in the capital of Minsk.
Tikhanovskaya met with the Washington Examiner at her office in exile in Lithuania to talk about her decision to flee Belarus, the role of Russia and Putin in keeping Lukashenko in power, and what will be needed to realize democratic change in her country.
Washington Examiner: Can you talk about your decision to flee Belarus and continue your work from Vilnius?
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya: It was such a stressful situation. After I had to leave my country, I was absolutely sure that I will not be able to continue because I was really depressed. … I was really afraid that the Belarusian people would blame me that I went away, but the Belarusian people understood. The Belarusian people supported me, and the Belarusian people told [me] that it was the right decision.
Now, it’s up to every Belarusian if their demonstrations, if their protests will continue. … I can’t betray political prisoners. I can’t betray all those people who were jailed and beaten and raped after the election.
The people with high morality, the people who support democracy, they are kicked out of the country. They are forced to leave [the] country. All these people, the best people, came here, and they are surrounding me. And we are doing everything just to help Belarus move to democratic, new elections.
Washington Examiner: Can you explain how Belarusians view Russia and Western-style democracy?
Tikhanovskaya: You are a free-minded people because you lived with democracy for many years, whereas we Belarusians have been living for 26 years under this regime with this dictator. We have [an] absolutely different way of thinking than you do. And our way of thinking — I suppose it’s similar to the Russians because we got used to obey.
For 26 years, our president has never asked people, “What do you want? How do you feel about this or that?” … In democratic countries, it was a surprise for me because I was also a regime-minded person. I knew that [the authorities] decided, that’s it. But in democratic countries, the people influence the authorities. And under the influence of people, authorities decide because they know that they are chosen by these very people. … A revolution in consciousness of the Belarusian people happened this year.
Washington Examiner: You’ve met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Steve Biegun. What did you talk about, and what did you ask from the United States?
Tikhanovskaya: Your politicians understand that our human rights were violated during the whole 21st century, but now, in August, our people decided to show that we are against falsified elections. We don’t want our votes to be stolen. And we went out for demonstrations to show it. And these peaceful demonstrators were brutally beaten and put in jail and tortured and raped.
We talked about what the USA can do to help in the situation. First of all, of course, we asked for sanctions, individual sanctions. And I know that in the USA, there is the Belarus Democratic Act, and we’re really grateful to the USA for this act, and now, it is widening. The sanctions list is widening. In America, you are really fast in these decisions. I told Mr. Biegun that the only way out of this political crisis is dialogue between the Belarusian authorities and the nation.
The Belarusian people will never again agree to live with [Lukashenko], with this killer who made these criminal orders to his riot police. … It’s not about geopolitics; it’s just [an] internal crisis. It’s our demonstrations against one person.
Washington Examiner: Do you believe that Mr. Lukashenko will give up power?
Tikhanovskaya: One day, he will have to start this dialogue because we are continuing our pressure on him. Our protests, our movements, are principally peaceful. We don’t want any kinds of violation from their side [against the] Belarusian people. … We are talking to neighboring countries about democracy, about not accepting Mr. Lukashenko as legitimate president. And he is not accepted by a lot of countries already.
Not [recognizing] Lukashenko [as] legitimate is a pressure. Individual sanctions is a pressure. Demonstrations inside the country is pressure. So, all these small points [are] like a great pressure on the regime.
Washington Examiner: Do you view yourself as the legitimate president of Belarus?
Tikhanovskaya: I’m absolutely sure that I’m legitimate in the eyes of Belarusian people. And that is what matters for me. I know that the majority of the Belarusian people voted for me, and I can say that. I can’t say [in] such a loud voice that I’m [the] legitimate president of Belarus because at the moment, all the [evidence] of the elections [was] destroyed. We can’t prove it legally.
I call myself a symbol of freedom, a symbol of a democratic country, a [nationally] elected leader.
Washington Examiner: Russia has deployed troops to Belarus to shore up Lukashenko. Do you believe Putin will allow Belarus to have free and fair elections?
Tikhanovskaya: Russia plays an important role in our economics. We are friendly countries. We are neighboring countries. We have [a] deep trade relationship, but it’s not about our relationship. It’s about a fear inside of our country.
Our demonstrations are absolutely peaceful. We are not threatening anybody. Why [do] you, Mr. Lukashenko, allow yourself to invite foreign troops for solving this problem? It’s not about Russia. … It’s [a] method of threatening [us], like, “We invited troops; be careful. There are troops here, and Russia helps us.” He shows that Russia supports him. But what happens in reality between them? Nobody knows.
We really wait for a signal from Moscow that they want to talk, and we would like to do so to explain what’s going on. … We don’t want to [turn our] back to Russia. Absolutely not. We are friendly countries. We adore Russians, and the Russians adore Belarusians. We have been friends all the time. So — oh, these political games.
Washington Examiner: What gives you hope?
Tikhanovskaya: The Belarusian people. I’m still continuing because I see the mood of Belarusian people. They need these changes. They are ready to fight for these changes because one person cannot do anything. If I’m alone, what can I do? But I see all the support. … It’s hundreds of thousands of people. It means that we are together. It means that a lot of people think the same as I do. And all these people are inspiring me.
I understand that our people who are political prisoners, who were tortured and beaten and raped during the protests, all these victims will be in vain if we don’t win. We can’t afford this because for the first time for 26 years, we woke up. We can’t lose this chance.
This interview has been edited for clarity. Video courtesy Maximilien Dejoie/Virginija Vareikyte, Roast Beef production.
