May 29, Pozirk. “I know you are unbroken; this is the strongest support for me,” said opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja in her appeal on the fifth anniversary of Siarhiej Cichanoŭski’s arrest and imprisonment.
“I know you believe in us, Belarusians, and in what we do. And this motivates us not to stop. We all remember that only together we can build a country or living,” she said, echoing his campaign message.
Police arrested presidential hopeful Siarhiej Cichanoŭski on May 29, two months before the 2020 election, as his sharp-edged campaign—centered on the promise to build “a country for living”—was gaining momentum and threatening to sweep incumbent Alaksandar Łukašenka from power.
In late 2021, he was given 18 years in prison on a number of criminal charges, including organizing mass riots, inciting hatred and interfering in elections. Two years later, authorities added 18 months to his term for alleged misbehavior. Rights groups consider his persecution to be politically motivated.
Cichanoŭski has been held incommunicado since early March 2023.
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