Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will be the special guest speaker on the final day of the Labour Party conference.
She will use her address to the gathering in Liverpool to say the fate of her country and neighbouring Ukraine are connected in the fight against Vladimir Putin’s “Russian imperialism”.
Belarus, under authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko, was used as a launch point for the invasion of its southern neighbour by Mr Putin’s forces.
Ms Tsikhanouskaya met Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer when she visited Westminster.
A Labour spokesman said: “In 2020 Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya bravely stood for election as president of Belarus against Putin-backed dictator Alexander Lukashenko, inspiring people to take to the streets after election victory was taken away by the armed forces.
“Since then she has been forced to flee her home country but has remained a leader of the peaceful resistance against the Putin backed oppressive regime in Belarus and a prominent advocate of political and civil freedom.
“Her legacy and her work continue to inspire pro-democratic movements in Belarus and in Russia, making her of the biggest external enemies to the Kremlin outside of Belarus and Russia.
“Her message at conference will be the fate of Belarus and Ukraine are interconnected and both countries are fighting against Russian imperialism and fighting for a future of independence and sovereignty from Vladimir Putin.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel