We, Viktar Babaryka’s headquarters, officially declare the following:
- We fully support Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya’s program. One of its key points involves holding new, fair and open elections. Numerous testimonies and recordings suggest that Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya won the elections on August 9.
- The former president must resign.
- All political prisoners should be released immediately, as well as those detained at peaceful demonstrations and protests. Compensation should be paid to everyone.
- The use of physical force and detentions must cease immediately.
- Everyone who used violence against demonstrators and passers-by on the streets, in paddy wagons, and then at police stations and pre-trial detention centers should be held accountable under the law of the Republic of Belarus.
- All members of election commissions involved in electoral fraud should be brought to account under the law of the Republic of Belarus.
- Belarus is an independent state. The sovereignty of Belarus is not a subject of trade or discussion. The Belarusians will defend their country from an encroachment on its independence as bravely as they are now fighting violence committed by the current government.
- Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya is initiating the creation of a coordinating council to arrange the transfer of power. This council may include representatives of civil society, respected and well-known Belarusians, professionals in various fields. Volha Kavalkova, Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya’s authorized representative, and lawyer Maksim Znak will accept applications for the nomination of committee members from organizations and associations of citizens.
The events of the past five days have frightened the current government. Until the last moment, they hoped that pensioners would trust them, that factory workers would tolerate them, and that the youth would give up on them. No. It won’t happen anymore.
Now the current government will behave traditionally: they will pretend that nothing has happened, they will scold the officials, whitewash themselves, and try to appease people with their miserable offerings. No. Not all traditions need to be preserved. The Belarusian people can no longer be deceived. Thank you for expressing your disagreement. Thank you for going on strike. We cannot stop. Express your disagreement until change becomes a reality. Belarusians – we are more than incredible.
