Lindeman received the medal together with Ambassador Ole Terje Horpestad, who was awarded the Cross of Good Neighbourhood for his efforts as Special Envoy for Eastern Europe of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
‘I am honoured and touched by this special award, thinking of all the NHC’s partners and friends in Belarus, and especially I think of my dear friend and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski. This inspires me to work even harder to support political prisoners and a democratic future for Belarus,’ said Berit Lindeman.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Oslo and held a series of meetings with the Norwegian leadership, members of parliament, and representatives of civil society. The Parliamentary Group “For Democratic Belarus” was officially launched during her visit. Eight members from five political parties joined the Belarus support group in the Storting.
In the afternoon, she visited the NHC and delivered a speech, addressing the current situation in Belarus. Despite the great efforts on the humanitarian track and releases of political prisoners like her recently released husband, politically motivated persecution continues every single day.
‘I will express my utmost respect to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her team for their tireless work in keeping attention on what is happening in Belarus, supporting and pushing for the release of political prisoners, and fighting for democracy and a better future for her country,’ said Lindeman.