Belarus exiled leader breaks silence: The first interview with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya - BBC News

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya was in the running to become President of Belarus. She was forced to flee the country after Alexander Lukashenko declared a landslide victory, though many believe she won the election instead. In her first interview from exile, the opposition leader told the BBC she does not see herself as a President but as a symbol of freedom and change. She urges protesters to carry on, warning that if they step back now they would become “slaves” to the regime. She spoke to the BBC’s Europe Correspondent Jean Mackenzie, a month after they first met in the run up to the Belarusian elections. Filmed and edited by Andy Smythe. Please subscribe HERE