"Thousands of people have paid with their freedom in this fight for democracy, and thousands of families have been torn apart. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko must be made accountable for the suffering and humiliation he has caused to his people, and everyone still supporting him today is also personally responsible," the Estonian president said.
The Estonian head of state emphasized the European Union's readiness to exert increasing pressure on Lukashenko's regime through political isolation and stricter sanctions to force the Belarusian authorities to stop supporting Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine.
Tsikhanouskaya said that the Lukashenko regime has also done all it can to destroy the Belarusian language and culture. The Estonian head of state deemed it important that everything be done to preserve it.
The president said that Estonia supports the Belarusian civil society and will help maintain the international community's attention on violations of human rights and international law in Belarus.
"The status of political prisoners will remain in our focus until justice has been established. It is the duty of the international community to make sure that the people who have been imprisoned in Belarus for political reasons be released rapidly," he said.
