Andrei Sannikov: Searching For Lukashenka's ‘Dirty Money’ Is Underway

Switzerland has great potential to put pressure on the dictator in order to save the lives of political prisoners.

Locarno, Switzerland hosted a screening of a documentary film about Belarus “This Kind Of Hope”, the main character of which is the leader of the European Belarus civil campaign Andrei Sannikov.

The ex-presidential candidate of Belarus also met with Swiss President Alain Berset.

Andrei Sannikov spoke about the significance of these events for Belarus and the possibilities of Switzerland to put pressure on the Lukashenka regime in an interview with Charter97.org

— The film “This Kind of Hope”, the main character of which you are, was shown at the festival in Locarno, Switzerland. What is the meaning of this show and what was the reaction of the audience to the film?

— Locarno is the largest festival, which is on a par with Cannes, Berlin and Venice.

It is believed that, along with Venice, this is the oldest film festival in the world.

It is very important that this film was shown at such a prestigious forum in a huge hall. And even on Saturday morning, 1,500 people came to see the film. I have never been to such large-scale screenings, and there is also a film dedicated to Belarus.

It is very important that after the session there were questions for me, for the film crew — about the situation in Belarus, the situation in Ukraine, about the war in our region. There were magazine, radio and television interviews that are usual in such cases. In general, the event was notable.

— Did the reaction of the audience impress you?

The audience gave a standing ovation for five minutes. This, of course, is worth a lot. Then many people came up, touched, excited, asked how and how Belarus could be helped, thanked for the fact that the filmmakers showed that there is a country very close by, where such a tragedy is happening before everyone's eyes.

Of course, I paid special attention to the Belarusian political prisoners, talked about Mikalai Statkevich, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, about the murdered Ales Pushkin and Mikalai Klimovich. The film was shot for several years, even before the bloody repressions of the last three years, but I think it added an understanding of what is happening in Belarus.

By the way, in Switzerland there will be two more screenings of this film and discussions after it with my participation. The screenings will take place as part of a very interesting Peace Culture Forum in Ilanz.

— In Locarno, you also met with Swiss President Alain Berset. What did you talk about, and what results do you expect from this meeting?

— It turned out quite interesting: we planned to meet with the President of Switzerland back in Solothurn (where the premiere of the film “This Kind Of Hope” took place on January 21 — edit.), I was asked if I would have time. But the meeting did not take place, because Alain Berset was then at the World Forum in Davos, there were snow storms, and the helicopter with him could not take off.

The President of Switzerland expressed regret that we did not meet back then, but we talked quite well. I raised just all the questions I mentioned above: we discussed the situation in Ukraine, Switzerland's position on Ukraine.

We know that Switzerland is a neutral country, but, nevertheless, it is quite stable in supporting Ukraine's aspirations for liberation from Russian aggression, for victory in the war over the crazed Kremlin. Coincidentally, the day after our conversation, Alain Berset made a sharp statement, demanding that Putin leave Ukraine and stop this senseless war.

Naturally, I asked that everything possible be done to save the lives of people who are being killed today in Lukashenka's prisons, because we know that Switzerland has quite strong diplomacy. I know this from my own experience, I know what the possibilities are. I will not say now what exactly we discussed, but the question of how to release political prisoners was also raised.

— You mentioned that Switzerland is a neutral country, nevertheless, it joined the European sanctions against Russia and imposed sanctions against Belavia, Hrodna Azot, Belorusneft, Belshina and other enterprises important for the Lukashenka regime. What other methods of influence does this country have in its arsenal?

— Tougher economic sanctions. Switzerland, in general, has great opportunities — both in itself and as an influential country in the financial and economic world. That is, much depends on its position, on its decisions on general sanctions against the Lukashenka regime. Therefore, there are opportunities.

— Switzerland is known in the world and as an influential financial center. It has frozen billions of dollars of Russian assets since the start of the war. How important is it to apply similar measures against capital associated with the Lukashenka regime, and is it possible?

— I discussed this with other people here in Switzerland, with representatives of both official circles and unofficial ones. Because if there are any assets here, they are looking for those assets. I don't know how much of Lukashenka’s money is in Switzerland itself, but again, Switzerland can help in investigating and finding those shelters for Lukashenka's “dirty money” that are available in the world.

— So, we can say that this process is already underway?

— Yes.

— This is a very interesting topic, because many experts said that the most effective method of influencing the regime would be to find and confiscate this “dirty money”. In particular, Daniel Fried, ex-coordinator of the sanctions policy of the US State Department, spoke about this to Charter97.org. How strong will the blow to the regime be if we manage to move in this direction?

— It's very difficult, because those who hide money and help hide money, of course, do it for good commissions.

But this is important, because, in general, this is not Lukashenka's money, this is the money of Belarusians that he stole. I am sure that it will still be found, we will be obliged to return it to the people who were robbed.

I think this is possible in today's situation, when there are such serious, private intelligence organizations that are becoming more and more professional — for example, Bellingcat (not all of them are public, not all of them want to be public, and I met with representatives of such organizations).

They can use all the latest technologies to track the location of this money, the export of this money. So I think that with the political decision of those countries that will be interested in this, all this is possible.