Free Speech Is A Powerful Weapon

There is an important tool to influence the situation in Belarus.

The opening ceremony of the unique photo exhibition "Through the Lens: Protecting Democracy and Freedom in Cyberspace" took place at the European Parliament building in Brussels on June 11.

The exhibition, organized by Proton, a Swiss company providing secure online services, and Lithuanian MEP Virginijus Sinkevičius, consisted of four parts. The first was dedicated to Charter'97 and its editor-in-chief Natallia Radzina. The other three were dedicated to Proton VPN Observatory (Proton's research program aimed at protecting freedom of speech in cyberspace - note), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Hong Kong activist and founder of the Hong Kong Indigenous Ray Won party.

"This exhibition will take you to key moments in Charter'97's history, from the opening of its office in Warsaw to the blocking of the website in 2018. The photos also show the struggle of Belarusians for democracy"," the organizers announced the event.The opening ceremony was attended by Proton founder Andy Yen, Lithuanian MEP Virginijus Sinkevicius, editor-in-chief of Charter97.org Natallia Radzina, prominent Hong Kong activist Ray Won and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty representative Christine Fitzko.

In her speech, Natallia Radzina, editor-in-chief of Charter97.org, spoke about the situation with freedom of speech in Belarus:

- Belarusians have been fighting for the freedom of their country for more than 30 years. It's hard for you to imagine - for so many years the dictatorial regime of Lukashenko has been flouting all laws and international norms, rigging elections, destroying his opponents by killing and imprisoning them. In small, 9 million Belarus, up to 10,000 political prisoners are imprisoned today. Among the prisoners of conscience are dozens of independent journalists and bloggers. Absolutely all independent media in the country are blocked and forced to work from abroad. In terms of freedom of speech, Belarus has slid down to the most cannibalistic African countries and North Korea.

That is why I am very grateful to Proton, which is opening today at the European Parliament in Brussels an exhibition on the pressure on freedom of speech in dictatorial countries, including Belarus. And I am incredibly grateful that the Charter'97 website is an example of Belarusian independent media fighting for freedom of speech. Proton also supported our site in the most difficult times: when we were blocked in Belarus and there was a need for urgent financial support. We will never forget that. Thank you!

"Charter'97" is the oldest independent website in Belarus, which has been operating for 27 years. We have been the leaders of the Belarusian Internet for many years, despite the pressure and persecution from the authorities. The founder and the first editor-in-chief of our site Oleg Bebenin was killed in Belarus on the eve of the 2010 presidential election, many journalists went through prisons. I myself was imprisoned in a KGB prison in Minsk, where I was tortured. Today in Belarus, criminal cases have been brought against the journalists of the Charter'97 website, and we face huge prison terms.

The repression did not stop us, however, and we continued our work - first from Lithuania, neighboring Belarus, and then from Poland.

I know that I work with real heroes, because cooperation with a website like Charter'97 carries huge risks for journalists. The dictatorial regime has recognized our site as "extremist", although we are simply doing our professional duty and covering the events taking place in the country.

We understand the main thing - if the regime takes so much effort to try to destroy one media outlet, it means that this media outlet is effective and is feared. This simple thought has always supported me and helped me to cope with numerous difficulties and problems that we have been facing in our work for almost 30 years.

And one of the main problems today is the decrease of international interest and attention to the situation in Belarus. Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for many years, the last three years - a large-scale, total war on all fronts. And in 2022, dictatorial Belarus has become a springboard for the Russian army's offensive against Kiev. Belarusian dictator Lukashenko is Putin's puppet and is only held in power - he is a victim of the regime, not part of it in any way. In 2020 there was an attempted revolution in Belarus, the whole world saw how about a million people came out across the country to protest against the dictator, who once again rigged the elections. However, unfortunately, the Western world lacked the determination to actively support the Belarusians in their struggle for freedom. The sanctions against the dictatorship were introduced very late, and today they need to be strengthened and intensified to have an effect.

Natallia Radzina explained why it is important to support the Belarusian independent media today:

- Media is an important and, perhaps, the last tool to influence the situation in Belarus. People should receive objective information from independent media, not from Russian and Belarusian propaganda channels.

Lately, however, support for Belarusian independent media has significantly decreased. American funds have closed after the arrival of President Trump, and European funds have begun to cut back their assistance. Many Belarusian media, including Charter'97, are on the verge of survival. Because of the lack of assistance, at some point we can simply close down. And who will benefit from this, except the dictator?

I often hear from politicians that the European Union should strengthen its defense capabilities, and that a huge number of funds are needed for the production and purchase of armaments. But media is also a weapon. Russia is waging a hybrid war against Western countries, and information warfare is part of this global war. Russia spends billions on its propaganda channels, and Europe is unable to support the few Belarusian media?

What do the Europeans need it for? To protect themselves from a new possible invasion of troops from the territory of Belarus. After all, Putin plans to use our country again as a springboard for an offensive - but this time not only in Ukraine, but also in the Baltic States and Poland. It was the independent media that with their influence were able to stop the direct participation of the Belarusian army in the war against Ukraine in the past years: thanks to constant coverage of events and transmission of objective information, they were able to propagandize and deprive the Belarusian soldiers of the desire to fight.

Therefore, I urge European politicians today to think strategically and realize the importance of free media. Free speech is not just a sound, it is a powerful weapon.

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