July 31, Pozirk. Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja has expressed “deepest condolences” to the victims of the overnight missile and drone attack on Ukraine and Kyiv, which claimed at least six lives and left more than 50 wounded.
“This terror cannot be justified. Russia must be stopped. Today and always – we all stand with Ukraine,” the politician stressed during a discussion of human rights in Belarus hosted by the Finnish and Dutch Helsinki Committees in Helsinki. The event took place on the sidelines of a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, which laid the foundation for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Meanwhile, reprisals in Belarus continue unabated with more people falling victim to politically-motivated persecution and dying behind bars, Cichanoŭskaja said. Those who are released remain under strict supervision and effectively become “hostages within their own country,” often facing travel bans and having their passports confiscated, she noted.
Belarusian and Russian diplomats were expected to attend high-level events in Finland along with more than 1,000 people from 57 OSCE participating states and 11 partner countries.
