We are members of an exclusive club. No one will want to access it, and everyone who joins will want to leave as soon as possible.
We were forced into our role because a ruthless dictator imprisoned our spouses. Our journey began not as public figures, but as supporters of my husband's courageous work. When they were unjustly imprisoned, we stepped into a new role of fighting for freedom and democracy. Not only for our loved ones, but also for the countless others who suffer under oppressive regimes.
Sviatlana's husband, Shalhei Tsikhanowski, was jailed in 2020 after daringly challenging Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka. he serve a 19 year sentence for exercising his right to free speech. From the beginning of 2023, he held in isolation. Even my family has not been able to contact me.
have Survived two assassination attempts In 2015 and 2017, Evgenia's husband, Vladimir Kara-Murza, criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's brutal war against Ukraine and was arrested in 2022. He was then accused of high treason and sentenced to 25 years of hard labor. After more than two years in squalid conditions in a Siberian penal colony, Vladimir was released last month in a revolutionary prisoner exchange scheme.
We share my husband's deep belief in the urgent need for democratic change in Russia and Belarus. We supported their efforts and accepted the inherent risks associated with their political activities. But we were mostly behind the scenes.
The outrageous actions of these dictators have placed us directly in the harsh spotlight. They left us no choice but to become advocates and leaders. Once you've come this far, you can never stop.
Vladimir is at home. This feels like a miracle, but we know that many people don't acknowledge it.
Shalhei remains behind bars and we will never stop calling for his release.
Thousands more remain in prison Straddling Russia and Belarus. Lukashenka imprisoned journalists, bloggers, businessmen, politicians and ordinary citizens; sometimes forgive some For public relations purposes. Putin's regime violates Russia's own constitution and international law; imprison anyone who dares to speak out against himabout the war in Ukraine, or anything he deems dangerous.
Many of these prisoners are little known. Their stories don't make headlines. But their courage remains heroic.
The human rights movement plays an important role in securing their freedom. The release of Vladimir Kara-Murza shows that international advocacy efforts are working together. The pressure could force dictators like Lukashenka and Putin to face the harsh reality that holding political prisoners is too costly and unsustainable.
But we can't do this alone. We need the world's most powerful democracies to act decisively. They need to deploy all available tools, especially global Magnitsky sanctions, to exert maximum pressure.
Unfortunately, Human Rights First reported a steady decline These sanctions have been imposed over the past three years, with both aggregate and major sanctions decreasing each year since 2020.
Too many people are imprisoned simply for exercising their rights, and now is not the time to release them lightly. Further sanctions are needed against those responsible for the repression in Russia and Belarus.
We must also unite with Ukraine. President Putin's war against Ukraine is not just an attack on one country, but a war on freedom itself. Lukashenka's government is complicitforced Russia to use the territory of Belarus as a starting point for this criminal war. The fates of Belarus and Ukraine are intertwined. Just as President Putin's defeat will mark the end of Lukashenka's regime, freedom for Ukraine will pave the way for freedom for Belarus.
We call on the international community. Don't forget about political prisoners. Do not ease pressure on prisoners. Please support the people of Belarus and Russia as they continue to resist and dream of a future free from dictatorship.
Last week we jointly accepted that Lantos Human Rights Awardnamed after the late Congressman Tom Lantos. he once said“The surface of civilization is paper-thin. We are its guardians and can never rest.”
Sometimes people, without any prompting, boldly stand up as protectors and defenders of our human rights. People like Vladimir, Shalhei and the deceased. alexei navalny. Some people find the courage to stand up when they have no other choice. Whatever decisions we come to, when we choose to stand up against injustice and stand as guardians of freedom, democracy, and human rights, we make it impossible for the world's dictators to prevail. It will be.
Freedom must prevail.
Evgenia Kara-Murza is a democracy activist and advocacy director of the Free Russia Foundation. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is the leader of the Belarusian Democratic Forces and head of the United Transition Cabinet.
