"I am so shocked by this event that it is this person, a well-known human rights defender not only in Belarus, but also throughout the world, an honorary resident of Paris and other cities, who has two missions in life - the protection of the independence of Belarus and the protection of human rights in Belarus and in to the whole world... I am very proud of this," Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya said in a commentary for Svoboda.

Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya expressed her hope that the awarding of Ales Bialiatsky with the Nobel Peace Prize will attract additional attention in the world to the problem of political prisoners in Belarus and torture in Belarusian prisons.

When asked what she would like to say to Ales Bialiatskyi, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya answered:

"I would hug him, of course.

I remember the last time we met with him, he said: "Svetlana, do what you are doing, defend Belarus on the international stage, talk about us.

We, as human rights defenders, will do our job."

He really inspired me at that moment."

"I hope that this will give our political friends an even greater push to draw more attention to Belarus, to work harder, to put pressure on the regime so that all political prisoners, including Ales Bialiatski, are released as soon as possible," — convinced Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya.