"No child should suffer because their parents dream of freedom. Yet, thousands of children in Belarus are separated from their parents due to political repression," Tsikhanouskaya appealed on social media.
In response, the crowdfunding platform Stranafund, founded by her imprisoned husband, Sergey Tikhanovskiy, which supports Belarus’ activist and volunteer movement, is encouraging participation in its annual Christmas Mail initiative to bring hope and light to these children’s lives.
Independent and opposition media critical of Alexander Lukashenko's regime report that, as of January 1, the Belarusian government has introduced regulations allowing authorities to deem children's welfare at risk if their parents face administrative charges under so-called "political articles." This could lead to children being removed from their families and placed in state care.
These measures are widely viewed as a tool to intimidate the public ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for January, in which Alexander Lukashenko plans to seek his seventh term in office.
Source: PAP/Zerkalo.io/X/@Tsihanouskaya
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