Representatives of the Belarusian opposition were awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The ceremony took place on December 16 in Brussels at the session European Parliament , writes Tut.by.
Speaker David Sassoli declared the courage of all protesters against authoritarianism in Belarus. “Your fight is also our fight,” he said.
Ten people were awarded the prize: a former presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , her husband, a popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky , Nobel Prize winner in literature Svetlana Aleksievich , oppositionist Maria Kolesnikova and Veronika Tsepkalo , member of the Presidium of the Opposition Coordination Council Olga Kovalkova , head of the human rights center “Viasna” Ales Belyatsky , head of the MTZ strike committee Sergey Dylevsky , founder of the Nexta Telegarm channel Stepan Putilo , politician Nikolai Statkevich .
The laureates who are under arrest were represented at the ceremony by their relatives. Aleksievich participated remotely.
Tikhanovskaya made a speech. “We are determined to win – and we will win,” she said and called on Europe “to help the struggle of Belarusians against the regime right now, and not tomorrow or sometime in the future.”
Mass protests in Belarus erupted after the presidential elections on August 9, when CEC said that Tikhanovskaya received 10 percent of the vote, and Alexander Lukashenko, who ran for a sixth term Alexander Lukashenko – 80 percent. The first rallies were violently dispersed. The detainees spoke of torture and abuse in the detention centers. Several protesters are known to have died.
A number of opposition politicians were arrested, some activists fled the country. Tihanovskaya is located in Lithuania.