Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya awarded Timișoara Prize for European Values

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been named the third recipient of the Timișoara Prize for European Values. The award, valued at 30,000 euros, will be presented during a gala ceremony in Timișoara, Romania, on November 6.

The jury recognized Tsikhanouskaya for her peaceful opposition to Aleksandr Lukașenko’s authoritarian regime and her efforts to defend human dignity and democratic aspirations in Belarus. The selection draws a parallel between her struggle and the 1989 Timișoara protests that led to the fall of communism in Romania.

Since being forced into exile following the contested 2020 presidential elections, Tsikhanouskaya has led the Unified Transition Cabinet and the Coordination Council. Her diplomatic activities include offices in Vilnius and Warsaw. Her advocacy has also been linked to the 2025 release of political prisoners, including her husband, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.