Washington, DC – Today, International Republican Institute (IRI) President Daniel Twining issued the following statement in response to the politically motivated sentencing of Siarhei Tsikanouski, husband of opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and other democratic activists in Belarus.
“The International Republican Institute strongly condemns the politically motivated sentencing of Siarhei Tsikanouski and calls for the immediate and unequivocal release of all political prisoners in Belarus who have been detained by the criminal and corrupt government in Minsk.
“These sentences are not the actions of a strong leader. Conversely, they represent a brittle Lukashenka regime that is desperate to cling to power. The people of Belarus deserve to live in a democratic society that respects the rights of all citizens.”
Top