The surprise guest

Exiled Belarusian journalist Hanna Liubakova writes about the quiet resistance of the Belarusian people, living in a society held hostage by terror and pro-Kremlin propaganda. The recent release of Siarhei Tsikhanouski – husband of Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – has offered a glimmer of hope to Belarusians who often feel forgotten. Yet with 1200 political prisoners still behind bars, the country remains a prison. The EU and the international community must not ease pressure until all are freed and systemic repression ends. This is not charity, but a crucial investment in European security.

Hanna Liubakova is a journalist and political analyst from Belarus. She is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and has written about developments in Belarus for international outlets including The Washington Post, The Economist and others. Liubakova began her career at Belsat TV, the only independent Belarusian television channel, banned by the regime in Minsk. She also worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in Prague, Czechia. She is currently an advisor for the EESC information report on social media and AI.

Liubakova has received several awards for her work, including the Freedom of the Media Award from the Transatlantic Leadership Network and the One Young World Journalist of the Year Award. She has also been a finalist for the European Press Prize. In retaliation for her reporting, the Lukashenka regime sentenced her in absentia to ten years in prison. She is on the wanted list in Russia and across all Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.