On Wednesday, December 10, 2025, on the occasion of International Human Rights Day (observed to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948), Czech Ambassador to Canada Martin Tlapa hosted a working breakfast focused on human rights. 

Ambassador Tlapa opened the meeting by recalling the Czech history of the country's emergence from totalitarian communist rule and the return to democracy and the related challenges of political transition. He recalled that today's meeting was inspired by a working breakfast hosted by French President François Mitterrand during his visit to Prague in 1988, when he hosted at the French Embassy for Václav Havel and other democratic activists in Czechoslovakia persecuted by the then communist regime. President Mitterrand called then dissidents during the meeting as “future leaders of your country”, which proved true in a year time. 

Ambassador also recalled the Czech Republic's long-term support for the democratic forces of Belarus, international efforts to support repressed human rights in Belarus within the relevant UN bodies, as well as annual projects of transformational cooperation and support for free media. He praised the personal bravery of human rights activists from non-democratic regimes, who themselves face persecution for their efforts to help detained political prisoners. He underlined that in today's difficult times, the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be the main fixture and beacon in the international environment.

The guests were representatives of the diaspora and exile community from Belarus, where the ruling undemocratic regime has long violated the basic human rights of the people. The participants were Alexandra Logvin, President of the Belarusian Canadian Alliance (BCA), Madame Joanna Survilla, President of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic (BDR), government in exile, Dr. Piotra Murzionak, President of Belarusian Institute of Arts and Sciences (Canada), Iryna Toustsik, human rights activist and member of the Rada BDR, Sergey Tihanovski, former presidential candidate and political prisoner (online participation), Alexander Liakh, BCA Director and leader of the BCA Montreal chapter, Tamash Shakhrai, Director of BCA Toronto chapter, Alexandre Korolkevitch, Vice-Presdient of the Belarusian Institute of Arts and Sciences (Canada), and Siarhei Mazgavoi, BCA Director. Representatives from Global Affairs Canada also participated - Angelica Liao-Moroz, Executive Director - Human Rights, Freedoms & Inclusion, and Laura Atar, Special Advisor.

The Belarusian participants—some of whom had been political prisoners in their home country before immigrating to Canada—outlined the human rights situation in Belarus and shared personal experiences and insights on regional developments. They highlighted the systematic violations committed by Belarusian authorities, including the arbitrary imprisonment and torture of political and human rights activists. The participants also commended the Czech Republic and Canada for their longstanding commitment to promoting human rights globally, noting in particular that the Czech Republic has served as a safe haven for persecuted Belarusian democracy and human rights activists for many decades.