Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will deliver the annual Havighurst lecture at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 22 in Shideler Hall.
Tsikhanouskaya became the leader of her country’s democratic opposition by challenging longtime Belarusian autocrat Aleksandr Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election. Lukashenko declared victory despite widespread and warranted accusations of voter fraud. This sparked the largest protests the country has seen since the fall of the Soviet Union over three decades ago.
After the election, Tsikhanouskaya was forced into exile in Lithuania, where she works to develop Belarusian democracy by leading the United Transition Cabinet.
During her exile, Tsikhanouskaya met with world leaders to discuss Belarusian democracy and the release of political prisoners prosecuted and jailed in Belarus.
The Lithuanian president nominated Tsikhanouskaya twice for the Nobel Peace Prize. Tsikhanouskaya has received several awards for her democratic advocacy during and prior to her exile.
Tsikhanouskaya’s visit is co-sponsored by the Menard Family Center for Democracy and the Havighurst Center.
