Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya named the biggest threat to dictators

On October 11, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in the international Forum 2000 conference in Prague.

In her speech, the leader of Belarusian democratic forces spoke about solidarity, the importance of Ukraine's victory, support for political prisoners and all those who stand up to dictatorships. She also stressed the need for unity of the democratic world in the face of common threats.

Tsikhanouskaya also drew attention to the important role played by pan-European values:

"I know how hard it is to keep hope when there is so much bad news around. But dictators want us to feel powerless. Let's not give them that pleasure. Europe is strong because of its values. Never give them up. And never underestimate your own strength. Don't believe Putin. Don't believe Lukashenka. And don't be afraid of them. Stay united. Stay confident. Don't lose your optimism. Because the greatest gift we can give to dictators is our fear. And the biggest threat to them is our courage."

The international Forum 2000 conference has been held since 1996. It was founded by Czech President Václav Havel, Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel. Every year, politicians, human rights activists and representatives of civil society from various countries gather in Prague for the event. This year's forum participants include the leader of Venezuela's democratic forces, as well as representatives of democratic movements from Nicaragua, Tibet, Myanmar and Turkey. Czech Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil also took part in the event.