Singer's duet, the Gruzdev sisters, said that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya promised to legalize drugs when she came to power. The statement was released on the air of the program “Say, Don’t Be Silent” on the state-run TV channel “Belarus 1”, on February 8.
“When we found out that Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya is an ex-drug user... she admitted it. And did you know, that in her election campaign she promised, that when she came to power, she would legalize marijuana and drugs,” Alexandra said.
Her twin sister Valentina added: “Well, she will explain to people how to take steps towards sensible drug use. She will be conducting a tasting. Did you say that she calls for good and bright things? This is exactly what Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya offers.”
In state-owned Belarusian media, the claim that the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces was going to decriminalize marijuana use in Belarus first appeared at the end of 2020.
The BIC’s journalists discovered what was the original source of this information. It turned out to be the media outlet Panorama. Here is what was, in particular, reported:
“At the same time, young people like to smoke and relax. However, as a result, the police punish them. For marijuana. In the twenty-first century. Unthinkable.”
The Panorama is a satirical media. Its website carries a warning: “All content on this site is a grotesque parody of reality and is not real news”. Also, there is highlighting that media content is satire, in the caption under the logo.
The Dutch De Telegraaf has never interviewed Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.