The rift within the Tsikhanouski family: What it means for Belarusian opposition in exile

From prison to public criticism

Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a blogger and dissident, was detained in Belarus in May 2020 after announcing plans to challenge Alexander Lukashenko in that year’s presidential election. He was convicted in December 2021 and sentenced to 18 years in prison, partly for organizing “mass unrest.” After his arrest, his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, ran against Lukashenko. He was declared the winner in August 2020 despite allegations of widespread vote-rigging, prompting mass protests that were violently suppressed. Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus and became a leading representative of the democratic movement.

Disputing her legitimacy

In livestreams, Tsikhanouski has argued that Tsikhanouskaya had a degree of legitimacy from the European Union, but not from people living quietly in Belarus. He also claimed that many voters who supported her as the opposition’s joint candidate now regret doing so.

He has proposed creating a supervisory board under the name “United Office of Demoratic Forces.” He said it could include former presidential candidates, protest leaders and prominent figures from the revolution, including himself and his wife, and oversee grant distribution. Tsikhanouski described his wife as a technical candidate who received votes from people opposed to Lukashenko. He said her vote share was negligible because she was not widely known, and argued that the regime saw her as no threat.

A family matter kept private

Asked by DW about his goals, Tsikhanouski declined to comment and directed the outlet to his livestreams. He is living in the United States and, by his own account, is unemployed. Earlier in the summer, he said he was in Los Angeles, learning English, preparing for university and writing a book.

His teenage son and younger daughter temporarily stayed with him in the United States. They now attend school in Poland, where Tsikhanouskaya lives. Neither she nor her office has publicly addressed the family situation or her husband’s allegations.

In December 2025, Tsikhanouskaya told DW that private life and public affairs were different, and said she understood her husband’s trauma and reactions after five years in prison. She said she would not comment publicly and that they would deal with matters within the family.

Pressure on opposition unity

The Belarusian opposition has faced repeated crises during Lukashenko’s 32-year rule, and Tsikhanouskaya’s leadership has been questioned before. The account says she and her team have managed difficult situations in recent years, but the dispute with her husband presents a new challenge. The article begins to quote political scientist Yury Drakakhrust describing Tsikhanouski as returning to his former self, but the quoted passage ends before his assessment is complete.