Team Paźniak accuses team Cichanoŭskaja of blocking Vilnius visit

February 14, BPN. A Volnaja Biełaruś member, political scientist Pavieł Usaŭ, has accused Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s office of standing in the way of Zianon Paźniak’s visit to Vilnius on February 15-16.

Paźniak, a veteran politician who now leads the Volnaja Biełaruś movement, was expected to speak at an “open conference” in the Lithuanian parliament, but on February 10 Usaŭ was informed that the event will not happen.

“Strong counteraction from Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s office was named as the main reason of this sudden change,” Usaŭ said on Telegram on February 13.

Cichanoŭskaja’s spokeswoman Hanna Krasulina told reporters that the office “isn’t involved in organization of Zianon Paźniak’s meetings and the current situation.”

“The Seimas makes its own decisions about the meetings it holds, same as Zianon Paźniak has the right to hold any meetings he deems necessary,” Krasulina said.

The two parties have always been at odds, with Paźniak painting Cichanoŭskaja as a pro-Russian politician. Her adviser once described him as brilliant but delusional.