In his speech, Nikolai Kvantaliani called attention to the situation of political prisoners in Belarus, where currently 1,108 political prisoners are held, including activists, journalists, human rights defenders, as well as ordinary citizens.

People are being put behind bars if they speak out against the torture and repressions that are happening in Belarus, but also if they raise the of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Many Belarusian citizens have left the coutry in order to avoid becoming forced to help the regime wage its war against Ukraine.

The developments in Belarus and Ukraine are interconnected. In 2020, Belarusians were beaten, tortured, killed and raped in prisons and detention centres. In 2022, we have seen images from villages and cities of Ukraine that were previously occupied by Russians, where innocent civilians have been tortured and murdered and women’s bodies partly burned after being raped. The cause of this brutal violence is the same: it is an attack on freedom and values of democratic societies.

Nevertheless, there is great solidarity between Belarusians and Ukrainians. Belarusians were among the first who have reached the Polish-Ukrainian border to support Ukrainian refugees. For many Belarusians who foud shelter in Ukraine, it was a traumatizing experience to become a political refugee for the second time. It is essential that a correct picture of Belarusian refugees escaping both regimes is painted in the public space and further discrimination is prevented.