At the Oscars earlier this month, many of us were celebrating along with the filmmakers and family of Alexei Navalny, as they were honored for the Best Documentary at this year's awards. The film, which premiered at Sundance in 2022, chronicles the political career, attempted assassination and eventual imprisonment of Navalny.
This year at Sundance, the film was presented again in a special screening that included Navalny's wife Yulia and daughter Dasha. I had the privilege of having dinner with them and we talked about Navalny's imprisonment and their concerns for his safety. He has spent much of the past two years in solitary confinement and his health has deteriorated. His family and supporters say that he is not receiving the medicine that he needs and have been calling urgently on prison staff to improve his care, fearing that his life is in danger.
In his Oscar acceptance speech, director Daniel Roher said, “I would like to dedicate this award to Navalny, [and] to all political prisoners around the world. Alexei, the world has not forgotten your vital message to us all. We cannot, we must not be afraid to oppose dictators and authoritarianism wherever it rears its head.”
If you haven't seen the film, I encourage you to do so. It's a compelling look at the inside of an authoritarian regime and the strength, courage and bravery of pro-democracy activist Alexei Navalny.
The Women Fighting for Democracy in Belarus
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, center, with political allies Veranica Tsapkala, left, and Maria Kalesnikava, right, at a campaign rally in 2020. Image: DW/A. Boguslwaskaja
And let’s also keep another authoritarian regime supported by Putin — Belarus — in our hearts and in our thoughts as the brave activists who oppose its dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, continue their struggle. We all remember the incredible rallies that took place there in the summer of 2020 in support of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the wife of jailed dissident and former presidential candidate, Sergei Tikhanovsky. Sergei was convicted of causing riots in 2021 and continues to serve out an 18-year sentence in a Belarusian prison.
After his initial arrest, Sviatlana, an English teacher with no previous political experience, took her husband's place on the ballot and ran for president. By popular consensus, she received the most votes, but the official results were falsified in favor of Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet country with an iron fist since 1994. She was forced to flee and now leads the democratic movement out of neighboring Lithuania.
The U.N. has criticized Lukashenko and Belarus “for police violence against peaceful protesters and journalists” following the “controversial presidential election.” According to Open Democracy, more than 500 women have been imprisoned in Belarus. In the days following the election, thousands of women took to the streets, many wearing white and carrying flowers in peaceful protests.
Anastasia Kostyugova (2nd from left) is a co-founder of the Women in White movement that triggered widespread demonstrations against the violence inflicted by police on protesters who reacted to the 2020 presidential election results in Belarus. Now she is in exile and in charge of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskay's communications team that is pushing for democracy in the country. WOMEN IN WHITE/FACEBOOK
Last week, a court in Minsk, Belarus, convicted Sviatlana, in absentia, to 15 years in prison on charges of treason and conspiracy to seize power. And then on Friday, four other women were each handed decade-long prison sentences, reports Reuters, "the latest in a series of heavy sentences handed to activists and journalists, including a Nobel prize winner, who have spoken out against authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko."
(Clockwise) Marina Zolotova, Lyudmila Chekina, Tatsiana Kuzina and Valeria Kasciuhova
Two of the women, Marina Zolotova and Lyudmila Chekina, are the editor and director of the independent online news outlet, tut.by. Each received a sentence of 12 years. The two other women, Valeria Kasciuhova, founder of a think-tank, and Tatsiana Kuzina, a political scientist, received 10-year sentences. According to the human rights group Viasna, they were convicted of "assisting actions to seize power in an unconstitutional manner," calling for actions aimed at harming national security, and inciting social hatred.
“According to human rights activists, Belarus now has about 1,500 political detainees, arrested for criticizing the authorities or participating in the 2020 protests against the outcome of a presidential election that the opposition said was rigged.”
In her social media postings, Sviatlana condemned all of the convictions, saying that "It's another attempt to kill honest journalism in Belarus, but I know that the truth will win. … A nation imprisoning its best researchers has no future, yet the regime's focus isn't on development. Progress can't be arrested; this injustice will not be allowed to stand."
In November 2020, shortly after she fled her country in the wake of the election, Sviatlana delivered a TEDWomen talk in exile. She talked about her election campaign and how small acts of defiance flourished into massive, peaceful demonstrations. She explored the link between fearlessness and freedom, reminding us that we all have what it takes to stand up to injustice — we just need to do it together. I encourage you to watch.
March 25 Is Belarus Freedom Day
Belarus Freedom Day traditionally commemorates the day in 1918 when Belarus declared its independence as a free state. Belarusian democracy activists are calling for people around the world to stand with them in solidarity on March 25. Sviatlana is in Boston and Washington, DC, this week to meet with members of Congress, and rallies and marches are planned around the US, Europe and the world for Saturday.
Sviatlana has posted a list of actions you can take to show your support for the Belarusian people fighting for their freedom, including joining a rally in your area, posting a sign in your window showing support, donating money to organizations working to free political prisoners and sending postcards and letters to prisoners and their families. You can also show your support on social media by using the hashtag #StandWithBelarus.
I stand in solidarity with Navalny and his courageous daughter and wife, and with Sviatlana and the brave women of Belarus. These women are my definition of fearless in their defense of their freedoms and the democratic process. But as Sviatlana says in her TED talk, we can’t be fearless alone.
“Fearlessness takes two. It only works if and when we show up for each other. Show up so that your neighbor, your colleague, your friend has courage. And they will do the same for you.”
Onwards!
- Pat
