Belarus opposition leader calls for Radio Free Europe to stay on air
Mar 26, 2025
Riga [Latvia], March 26: The Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has called for US foreign broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) to keep broadcasting, despite its uncertain future.
"Free media are our link between the truth, between the people in exile and the people in the country," she said in a speech in the Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday. "If these media die, they will be replaced by propaganda media."
Tikhanovskaya, who lives in exile in the European Union, was referring to the dramatic moves by the new administration in Washington.
"RFE/RL is threatened with closure following funding cuts by US President Donald Trump's administration. Several European countries, led by the Czech Republic, are discussing ways in which RFE/RL can be preserved," she said.
RFE/RL began broadcasting during the Cold War and has had an office in Lithuania from which it covers neighbouring Belarus since the beginning of 2023. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
