In Lithuania, thoughtful conversation with exiled Belarus opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, wife of Sergei Tikhanovsky who is now jailed by the regime. The couple are pivotal in leading Europe’s most enduring dictatorship toward democracy. It is not ‘if’, but ‘when’, Sviatlana told me. Neither started out as political activists. When trying to renovate their family home, they faced constant blocks and demands for bribes. Sergei went on a live stream blog tour around Belarus revealing similar frustrations — and he shot to fame. . “It’s very important to understand that people who have been living in dictatorship for 27 years, also have to study how it is to live in democracy,” says Sviatlana. “You can think it’s much easier to live with dictatorship because you are not responsible for anything. When you live in a democratic country, everyone is responsible for the future.” Sergei is being kept in solitary confinement. Their children’s letters reach him. Hers do not.
