Her Excellency Mette Frederiksen
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark
Dear Prime Minister,
On behalf of the Belarus Democratic Forum, we wish to express our respect for Denmark’s principled commitment to human rights and international justice, as well as to thank your government for its sustained attention to the situation in Belarus.
Denmark’s engagement was most visibly embodied in its support for the International Accountability Platform for Belarus (IAPB), led by the Danish organization DIGNITY and financed by Denmark, with contributions from the European Union, the United States, and other international partners. The intention behind this initiative, to document grave violations of international law and contribute to future accountability, was both legitimate and necessary.
However, despite expenditures at approximately €10 million, the platform has not led to the opening of a single criminal case against perpetrators of torture, extrajudicial killings, or fabricated prosecutions in Belarus. Throughout this period, repression continued, political prisoners remained incarcerated, and those responsible for serious crimes retained full impunity.
As professionals engaged for decades in the information technology sector, we feel obliged to note that the core technical tasks undertaken by IAPB, collection, verification, structuring, and presentation of information, could today be performed at a substantially lower cost, with equal or greater efficiency.
Using modern tools, including artificial intelligence, such work could realistically be carried out by: one qualified analyst over one month, supported by AI-assisted data processing and verification tools.
Even without the use of artificial intelligence, a conventional workflow would require no more than: three specialists over a period of three months.
In both scenarios, the maximum cost of the initiative would amount from 10 to 50 thousand euros. This disparity raises legitimate questions about proportionality, efficiency, and stewardship of public funds entrusted by international donors.
Beyond questions of cost, there was an unintended, as we believe, consequence. The existence of a well-funded, internationally endorsed Danish-led platform created a widespread perception that meaningful accountability work was already underway. As a result, independent Belarusian and international initiatives pursuing similar objectives were frequently discouraged or redirected, with assurances that “the work is being handled.” In practice, this diverted civic energy, delayed alternative approaches, and effectively eliminated results-oriented strategies.
During the 5 years period Denmark did not deploy any instruments available, be it political leverage or negotiations, to address what for Belarusians was the most urgent humanitarian priority, the release of political prisoners. Even appeals from Nobel Peace Prize laureates urging stronger engagement on this issue did not translate into tangible outcomes.
The contrast with more recent developments is instructive. In 2025, decisive diplomatic engagement by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, supported by Special Envoy John P. Coale, resulted in the release of more than 300 political prisoners from Belarusian prisons, individuals who had risked their lives, health, and freedom in defense of democracy and human rights in a European country. The process of releases is ongoing.
This outcome was immediate, verifiable, and humanitarian in nature. It delivered concrete relief to hundreds of families and achieved what years of procedural accountability initiatives, supported by approximately €10 million in international funding, had not. Notably, the direct financial assistance received by each released political prisoner from various support initiatives amounted, on average, to around €300 per person.
The comparison is difficult to ignore, millions spent on reports and processes that produced no legal or humanitarian result, versus modest, almost symbolic sums reaching those who actually endured imprisonment, torture, and repression, once effective political engagement finally made their freedom possible.
In this context, we respectfully invite you to consider nominating President Donald J. Trump and Special Envoy John P. Coale for the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of their concrete humanitarian result. Such a nomination would reflect a core Nobel principle, that peace and justice are measured by outcomes and human lives improved, rather than by the scale or duration of institutional processes.
In parallel, we believe it would be appropriate to address the matter of responsible use of international donor funds. Resources provided by the European Union, the United States, and other partners were allocated in good faith, with the expectation of practical results. Given the absence of such results, we respectfully propose the return of unused or unjustifiably expended funds to the original donors, so that they may be redirected toward initiatives capable of delivering tangible humanitarian or legal outcomes.
Such a step would demonstrate Denmark’s commitment to accountability not only as a principle applied abroad, but also as a standard upheld at home.
We raise these matters in a spirit of respect and constructive engagement, convinced that an honest reassessment of past approaches is essential if future international efforts on Belarus are to be effective.
With highest consideration,
Dr. Valery Tsepkalo
Founder and CEO, Belarus Hi-Tech Park, Ambassador of Belarus to the United States (1997–2002), Former First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Presidential Candidate, 2020
Dmitry Bolkunets
Secretary General, Belarus Democratic Forum