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Chancellor Angela Merkel, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tichanowskaja in the Federal Chancellery
Photo: Jesco Denzel / dpa
The Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tichanovskaya has called for more support from the West in the fight against ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
The people in her country expect support for independent media and civil organizations in order to overcome the consequences of the crisis, she announced after the meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin via the news channel Telegram.
Merkel herself did not comment after the conversation.
According to participants, she said nothing about the results of the conversation at the meeting of the Union parliamentary group.
After a meeting with the civil rights activist, the Greens called on the EU to sanction Lukashenko directly.
"Only sanctioning 40 people is not an adequate answer to Lukashenko's state terror," said party leader Annalena Baerbock.
MEPs in the European Parliament made similar statements.
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Tichanowskaja, Green leader Robert Habeck
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
EPP group leader Manfred Weber praised the EU sanctions against supporters of Lukashenko.
"But where is Lukashenko?" Asked Weber.
The EU summit last week imposed sanctions on 40 of its supporters.
The deputy chairman of the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Katja Leikert, made it clear that she believes further sanctions against Lukashenko supporters are possible.
In Belarus, the opposition sees Svetlana Tichanovskaya as the true winner.
She now controls the protests from Vilnius, Lithuania.
The democracy movement demands the resignation of the head of state and the release of all political prisoners and new elections.
Human rights activists accuse the power apparatus of crimes against humanity.
There have already been several dead, hundreds injured and more than 10,000 arrests.
The German ambassador to Belarus, Manfred Huterer, meanwhile left "to hold talks in Berlin," as the dpa news agency learned from the Foreign Office.
According to dpa information, the federal government wants to show solidarity with Poland and Lithuania, who had previously withdrawn their ambassadors from the Belarusian capital Minsk.
The leadership in Minsk had previously demanded that the two countries severely reduce their diplomatic staff in Belarus.
"Anyone who wants to act as a mediator can help us."
Svetlana Tichanovskaya
After the 45-minute conversation with Merkel, Tichanovskaya again emphasized on Telegram that the protests in Belarus, which had been going on for weeks, were not a "fight against Russia or Europe", but a consequence of the crisis in the ex-Soviet republic itself. Before a meeting with Merkel said she said she was grateful that the EU had imposed sanctions on people close to Lukashenko.
"It's a win, but it's a small win. The list needs to be expanded."
She wanted "that Germany, as one of the most powerful countries in the world, can help with negotiations."
"Anyone who wants to act as a mediator can help us."
For weeks there have been protests against the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko in the capital Minsk and other cities.
The trigger was the controversial presidential election in early August.
The 66-year-old was confirmed for a sixth term with 80.1 percent of the vote.
The EU does not recognize the election result in Belarus.
During her visit to Berlin, Tichanowskaya also drew a parallel with the situation in the GDR in 1989. "I saw photos of people sitting on the wall and tearing it down," the 38-year-old told journalists and representatives of various organizations.
"There was joy in her eyes."
The civil rights activist would like to see this joy in Belarus too.
The people there are just about to tear down their wall.
Visit to the wall
On Monday, at the beginning of her visit to Berlin, she also made a visit to the Wall.
She was completely moved when she saw a section of the wall on Potsdamer Platz - painted in the Belarusian colors of white and red with demonstrators' slogans, she said.
A little later, dozens of Belarusian protesters cheered at a rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
"Carry on. We don't know how long this fight will last, but we need your help," she called out to those present.
Tichanovskaya had not appeared politically until the election.
The mother of two used to work as an English teacher.
After the election, she was forced to leave Belarus under pressure from the authorities.
Since then she has lived in the EU country Lithuania.
She came to her political role because her husband Sergei, who regularly denounced corruption in his video blog, was arrested.
She then registered as a candidate in his place and mobilized thousands of people with the support of other opposition members.
"I am a simple person," said Tichanowskaja at a meeting with Belarusians in Berlin.
"I am one of you."
She only had contact with her husband through her legal advisor.
Again and again she appealed to continue demonstrating peacefully.
Her goal has always been to seek a dialogue with the regime, but so far that has not shown any signs of talks.
"We are now forced to ask our neighboring countries to act as mediators in the dialogue between the people of Belarus and the state. We propose to take the OSCE," said Tichanovskaya.
Merkel could be helpful for the situation.
CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak, among others, promised support.
"We stand by the side of the courageous women and men from #Belarus," wrote the Union politician on Twitter.
"Mr. Lukashenko is not the elected president. Election fraudsters cannot be election winners."
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt called for quick new elections.
He has spoken out in favor of the EU providing Belarus with economic support after Lukashenko has left.
"That would be an important contribution from Europe," said Dobrindt after the meeting with Tichanowskaya.
A meeting with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and appearances in the Bundestag committees for Europe and the rest of the world are planned for Wednesday.
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