Belarusian opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya cancels EuroNest Armenia trip

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has been residing in Vilnius since 2020, was forced to cancel her scheduled visit to Armenia after Lithuanian authorities lowered the status of her protective detail.

According to Delfi, citing Tsikhanouskaya’s advisor Denis Kuchinsky, the decision was difficult but unavoidable.

“Yes, I can confirm that we had to make the tough decision to cancel the long-planned first-ever visit to Armenia for the EuroNest (Eastern Partnership) plenary session. This is due to the suspension of the use of personal security — the state service responsible for protecting top officials — abroad. We had hoped that exceptions would be made for countries with a high-risk profile, but unfortunately, this did not happen,” Kuchinsky explained.

Since early October, Tsikhanouskaya’s personal security team, previously under the state leadership protection service, has been reassigned to the criminal police bureau. While the state protection service ensures the safety of government leaders, the criminal police bureau is tasked with protecting private individuals deemed at risk by the authorities. Following these changes, the Belarusian opposition representation announced on October 8 that it would suspend its activities.

Unofficial sources report that Tsikhanouskaya’s personal security, which previously operated 24/7, cost the Lithuanian budget around 1 million euros per year.

It is recalled that Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania in 2020 following Alexander Lukashenko’s victory in the Belarusian presidential election.

By Tamilla Hasanova