On Thursday, 22 October, 2021, Sarah Clarke, head of ARTICLE 19’s Europe and Central Asia team, and Joanna Szymańska, Senior Programme Officer, met with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Sarah Clarke and Joanna Szymańska’s meeting with Belarusian opposition leader and human rights advocate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya focused on shared concerns about the relentless, rampant repressions of the freedom of expression of the people of Belarus. Additionally, the discussion touched upon possible ways to work with tech companies to ensure a more effective fight against misinformation and to promote the Belarusian language on platforms.
It was an honour for our team to meet Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and engage in vital and insightful conversations about such key issues. ARTICLE 19 extends its thanks to Ms. Tsikhanouskaya for her tireless efforts to advocate for human rights in Belarus and to keep the Belarusian fight for freedom and democracy in the international public eye. We are privileged to stand with Ms. Tsikhanouskaya and the supremely brave people of Belarus in their fight for fundamental civil liberties.