"The prize belongs to all Belarusians who continue to fight." Tikhanovskaya was awarded the German prize, which was previously awarded to Havel.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been awarded the Bonn International Prize for Democracy and the Rule of Law for her contribution to the protection of democracy, the principle of separation of powers, and the rule of law.
The ceremony took place on December 7 in Bonn as part of an annual program that celebrates individuals and organizations that bravely defend human rights, the rule of law, and democratic values.
The award has been presented annually since 2007 for significant contributions to the development of democracy. Previous laureates include former Czech President Václav Havel (2009) and the organization "Reporters Without Borders" (2014).
In her speech, Tikhanovskaya emphasized that the award belongs to all Belarusians who continue to fight for freedom, justice, and peace, and called on participants to support Belarusian political prisoners and Ukraine:
"I am grateful to the organizers of the Bonn International Democracy Award for their decision to award it to Belarusians. It is not for me, but for all those who fight for freedom, including our political prisoners, such as Maria Kolesnikova or Ales Bialiatski.
We, Belarusians, are deeply grateful to the German people for your solidarity and support - not only for a free Belarus, but also for Ukraine.
Today I want to ask you to support Belarus, our political prisoners. But also - to support Ukraine. Because today Ukraine is fighting for all of Europe. The fates of our countries are intertwined. If Ukraine is strong and Russia is weak, it will open a window of opportunity for Belarus as well.
Dictatorships may seem invincible, yes, until they suddenly collapse. As happened with the Berlin Wall, with the Soviet Union, or recently with Syria. We do not know when and how it will happen, but it will happen. And we must be ready for it."
After the award ceremony, a panel discussion took place, during which Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and the Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, Nathanael Liminski, discussed the situation in Belarus, the current focus of the activities of democratic forces, and Germany's opportunities to support Belarusians.
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