Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on the Fight Against Authoritarianism

AMANPOUR: You know, in a way, you are the accidental leader. You did it because your husband was in jail. He was going to be running for president.

SVETLANA TIKHANOVSKAYA, BELARUSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: It was my husband who wanted to take part in the election campaign, and he was the person who, about three years, was going around the country and interviewing people about their lives in Belarus, about what they would like to change, what they are unhappy with about our country, and he understood that people are so afraid to tell the truth. He understood that people’s rights are not respected in our country. And so, he wanted to try to — I don’t know, to do — to try to become president. But at the moment of registration, he was in jail, and I wanted to support him somehow, and I brought documents instead of him. So, my first trip was done absolutely for the sake of love because I just wanted to support my husband. I never was involved in politics. I was just a wife and mother. I saw the intention of Belarusians to fight for their rights. They wanted changes. They wanted a new country. They didn’t trust this president anymore. They wanted to build new, free and safe country together with me. And, you know, this way was extremely difficult. And I was afraid every single day.

AMANPOUR: Svetlana, I wonder whether you consider what Lukashenko must be thinking, because they obviously allowed you to register. They obviously did not think you would become this figure.

TIKHANOVSKAYA: I am sure they registered me just to make laugh at me because they understood that I am with my husband, and nobody knew me, and nobody would vote for me. But people — and this, too, that I’m my husband’s wife, and if I made this step that — just for love, you know, that in our family, one for everybody and everybody is for one. So, they supported me, and it was — I think it was like a show for the authorities. So, they just had to leave me to show that there was a hint of democracy in this election. So, they — at that moment, they left the weakest person as they thought.