15
April 2024
Past Event
The Struggle for Freedom in Belarus with Andrei Sannikov

The Struggle for Freedom in Belarus with Andrei Sannikov

Past Event
Hudson Institute
April 15, 2024
Belarusian presidential candidates Andrei Sannikov speaks to journalists after voting in Minsk, Belarus, on December 19, 2010. (Photo by Maksim Malinouski/AFP via Getty Images)
Caption
Then Belarusian presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov speaks to journalists after voting in Minsk, Belarus, on December 19, 2010. (Photo by Maksim Malinouski/AFP via Getty Images)
15
April 2024
Past Event

Event will also air live on this page.

 

Inquiries: [email protected]

Speakers:
Andrei Sannikov
Andrei Sannikov

Belarus Opposition Leader

Peter Rough Hudson Institute
Peter Rough

Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Europe and Eurasia

tod_lindberg
Tod Lindberg

Senior Fellow

Listen to Event Audio

Although Belarus gained independence in 1991 when the Soviet Union broke up, it has been the crown jewel of Russia’s sphere of influence for three decades since. Domestically, Belarus remains firmly in the grip of its authoritarian ruler, Alexander Lukashenko, who has maintained power since 1994 through brutal repression and a series of unfree and unfair elections.

Nevertheless, Belarusian civil society has a strong identity and a tradition of peaceful protest in support of freedom and democracy. In 1995, Andrei Sannikov resigned in protest from his position as deputy foreign minister of Belarus after Lukashenko put forward a referendum that would pave the way for the strongman’s consolidation of power. Sannikov has fought for Belarus’s freedom ever since. In 2005, he won the Bruno Kreisky Prize for Service to Human Rights. In 2010, Sannikov ran for president in a sham election in which Lukashenko claimed to have won more than 80 percent of the vote. In the aftermath, Sannikov led a peaceful demonstration in Minsk’s main square. Riot police attacked, badly injuring Sannikov. He was subsequently arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. Under international pressure, the Lukashenko regime released the opposition leader in April 2012. Threatened with rearrest, Sannikov left Belarus and received political asylum in the United Kingdom.

At Hudson, Sannikov will offer remarks on Belarus’s strategic importance, Russia’s regional ambitions, and prospects for political change in Minsk, followed by a question-and-answer session with Hudson Senior Fellow Tod Lindberg.

Agenda

2:30 p.m. | Welcome and Introduction

  • Peter Rough, Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute

2:35 p.m. | Remarks

  • Andrei Sannikov, Belarusian Opposition Leader

2:50 p.m. | Conversation

  • Andrei Sannikov, Belarusian Opposition Leader
  • Tod Lindberg, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

3:05 | Audience Q&A

Related Events
03
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Regional Power Competition in the Horn of Africa
Featured Speakers:
Rashid Abdi
Alan Boswell
Asher Lubotzky
Moderator:
Joshua Meservey
Getty Images
03
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Regional Power Competition in the Horn of Africa

In this episode, experts discuss what regional powers such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, and Qatar are doing in the Horn, their strategies and motivations, and the impact they might have on the region.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Rashid Abdi
Alan Boswell
Asher Lubotzky
Moderator:
Joshua Meservey
04
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mexico Navigates New Challenges
Featured Speakers:
Luis Rubio
Antonio Ortiz-Mena, PhD
John Creamer
Moderator:
Daniel Batlle
Getty Images
04
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mexico Navigates New Challenges

Join Hudson Institute for a panel discussion examining the potential scenarios for Mexico and the future of the US-Mexico relationship.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Luis Rubio
Antonio Ortiz-Mena, PhD
John Creamer
Moderator:
Daniel Batlle
07
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Evolving Issues in Regulation of Digital Platforms: A View from the UK and EU
Featured Speakers:
Professor Suzanne Rab
Harold Furchtgott-Roth
Getty images
07
April 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Evolving Issues in Regulation of Digital Platforms: A View from the UK and EU

Join Hudson for a discussion on European Union and United Kingdom competition and regulatory authorities’ increasing focus on digital platforms. 

Getty images
Featured Speakers:
Professor Suzanne Rab
Harold Furchtgott-Roth
10
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization
Featured Speakers:
Douglas Murray
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Getty Images
10
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization

Murray will join Hudson Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs for a discussion on his conversations in the Middle East, the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, and the historical and moral dimensions of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorists who seek to destroy it.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Douglas Murray
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs