Natallia Radzina: There Is No Time, We Need to Act and Win

The lives of Belarusians are at stake.

Natallia Radzina, editor-in-chief of Charter97.org, gave an interview to blogger Artsiom Shaporau from the Realnaya Belarus Youtube channel.

Natallia Radzina said that there is a plan to defeat the dictatorship in Belarus that is known to everyone: sanctions, strikes, and mass protests.

- This is what can destroy the Lukashenka regime. When I say sanctions, I mean serious economic sanctions. Against enterprises, banks, oil products, and potassium, which is exported in huge quantities to Western countries. It is necessary to stop the flow of money that Lukashenka is still receiving.

Strikes are appeals to public sector workers, private entrepreneurs. Today, a strike is a relatively safe form of protest.

The third is the protest rallies that are taking place today in a partisan format. And this is good because it is a safe format, but we are sure that, in the end, there will be massive protests in Belarus. Because only the street can lead us to change today.

Answering a question about freedom of speech in Belarus, the editor-in-chief of the website Charter97.org recalled that Lukashenka had been cleaning the information field from the first day in power:

- First, he took over TV channels, then radio stations; then, he began to close down newspapers. In 2010, he launched an attack on the Internet starting with the Charter. I would like to remind you that our founder was killed, and we all ended up in prison.

In 2018, when the site was blocked, I warned journalists: you will be next. If we do not stand in solidarity, if we do not demand a tough reaction from the West, the introduction of economic sanctions in particular, then you will be next.

Unfortunately, I was not heard. Someone thought that they would be able to sit out, loop through, or somehow agree.

We see that, in 2020, all the largest independent sites, including Radio Svaboda, were blocked, and, now, the purge of tut.by has begun.

Natallia Radzina noted that there can be no "position in the middle" in the current situation:

- There can be no grey. Everything is just black or white. Either Sovetskaya Belorussia or "goodbye, get out of the country."

However, the independent journalist urges not to lose heart:

- Lukashenka's days are numbered. He has no resource to rule for long. They say that, the closer the end of the regime, the harsher the repression. This is what we are seeing today. The key here is not repression but the end of the regime. And it will be, will be very soon.

Natallia Radzina is confident that Lukashenka and his accomplices will be brought to justice:

- All of them should understand that they will bear responsibility, this will happen very soon. We see that they are beginning to initiate criminal cases now in Europe, there is universal jurisdiction, there are lawsuits in the court in The Hague. They will not get away from responsibility. They will also bear responsibility in Belarus, where there will be an independent court.

Therefore, I urge the law enforcement officers to think about their future, and now, as soon as possible, go over to the side of the people. They must stop defending the illegitimate gang that has seized power in the country.

The editor-in-chief of the website Charter97.org drew attention to the fact that the information agenda in the country is changing very quickly, but there are key events that should not be forgotten. Among them is the death of Vitold Ashurok:

- I think he was killed in the colony. Conditions for prisoners in Belarus are very tough, especially for political prisoners. In the Shklou colony, where he died, special yellow stripes were introduced for political prisoners.

Of course, it is necessary to demand an immediate investigation of Vitold's death, to protest, and serious international sanctions from the European Union for the death of a person must follow. Because, unfortunately, it may not be the only one.

Natallia Radzina noted that a lot of workers' leaders have recently appeared in Belarus who can take responsibility for the strike movement:

- There is energy, desire; at every enterprise, there are workers who are ready to lead people, who know what to do in this situation.

I met with a huge number of employees of the largest Belarusian enterprises. They have a desire to fight because people perfectly understand that, today, it's impossible to sit out. After all, repressions against Belarusians, including workers, continue. Now we see that those who have joined independent trade unions are being dismissed, and mass layoffs are beginning due to the economic situation.

Who will protect people? Only they themselves. Therefore, we need to organize ourselves. I really hope for the working leaders, wonderful, honest people with burning eyes who really want to change the situation, who want to fight both for their colleagues and their country. I'm sure everything will work out.

The editor-in-chief of the website Charter97.org stated that Lukashenka is afraid of real leaders:

- It became known that Pavel Seviarynets was sentenced to seven years, the leader of European Belarus Yauhen Afnahel - seven years. Other activists of European Belarus - from five to seven years. It is quite obvious that Lukashenka is afraid of real leaders, so he passes such sentences.

There is no time, we need to act and win as soon as possible.

People need to be rescued in Belarus today. There are, in fact, thousands of political prisoners in prisons. Today they are tortured there, they are killed, they are deprived of their health, and their destinies are ruined. Only economic sanctions can save them.

Natallia Radzina said that, in the matter of pressure on the regime, she hopes for the help of the diaspora:

- I urge you to come to the ministries of foreign affairs of your countries, picket the houses of governments, picket the presidential palaces, picket the parliaments, demand the imposition of economic sanctions. This can really help our country. Unfortunately, just rallies of solidarity - when you go out beautiful, in white-red-white dresses, white-red-white T-shirts, with flags - this is not enough. It is necessary to set clear and strict requirements for the governments of your countries.