ESCAPE ROM HOMELAND

Confession of a woman who shook the regime of the last European dictator: I would not wish this on anyone The Lithuanian foreign minister revealed to the BBC that she had been captured for seven hours after visiting the Election Commission and lodging a complaint. Writes: Jutarnji.hrPosted: August 11, 2020 6:07 pm Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Sergei Gapon Facebook Twitter Messenger E-mail RELATED NEWS Svetlana Tikhanovskaya OPPOSITION LEADER Tikhanovskaya explains why she left Belarus: 'I remained a weak woman as I was' IT'S SAFE Defeated Lukashenko's opponent flees the country, finds refuge with 'neighbors' Belarus' opposition presidential candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , addressed the public after it was announced she was safe in neighboring Lithuania. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius revealed on Twitter early this morning that Tihanovskaya had arrived in Lithuania and was safe without revealing other details, after it was not known where she had been since Monday night. Linas Linkevicius revealed to the BBC that she had been captured for seven hours after visiting the Election Commission and lodging a complaint. - She seems to have visited the Election Commission, lodged a complaint ... but stayed there. It would be too good to say that the visit to the Election Commission was friendly. She was arrested. I understand that the decision to leave the country was the only reasonable one, he said. Tikhanovskaya, who won 10 per cent of Lukashenko's vote in the election, said in a video address that she had made a very difficult decision to leave the country, saying it was because of her children. Another video appeared, which was made before the opposition politician left Belarus. All indications are that Tikhanovskaya was filmed while she was in short custody. The video shows Tikhanovskaya nervously reading from the paper, urging her supporters to accept Lukashenko's victory, boycott the protests and avoid clashes with police. In the footage, she sits with her head bowed on a black leather sofa. Her allies are convinced that the statement, published in state media, was recorded under duress. A close associate of Tihanovskaya said authorities had escorted her out of the country as part of an agreement to release her campaign manager Maria Moroz , who was arrested on Friday night. The Lithuanian foreign minister confirmed that the two women had left Belarus together. In an emotional statement by Svetlana Tihanovskaja, recorded after the only opposition candidate arrived in Lithuania, she addresses her supporters and says she has underestimated herself and her strength. EBefore she was forced by the authorities to leave to Lithuania last night, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was made to record this Kadyrov-style apologizing video where she calls on people to accept the official results and to not protesting pic.twitter.com/W2saD3J11U - Tadeusz Giczan (@TadeuszGiczan) August 11, 2020 - I thought that this campaign gave me the courage and strength to be able to deal with anything. But I guess I’m still that same weak woman I used to be. I made a very difficult decision, she said, noting that she made the decision to leave the country completely on her own and that no one influenced her. She is aware of the fact that some will understand her decision, but also that many will hate and condemn her for it. - I would not want anyone to be faced with an election like this. Be careful. No life is worth what is happening now, children are the most important thing in our lives, said an oppositionist who sent her children to Lithuania before the election. The former English teacher was a housewife before entering the political arena. Tihanovskaya ran in the election after her husband, an anti-government blogger who intended to run for president, ended up in prison.