Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlan Cihanouska, who has left the country as a result of regime pressure, is calling on supporters for new mass demonstrations on March 25, Freedom Day, which marks the proclamation of Belarus’ independence in 1918.
“I call on all Belarusians to prepare for this day – to mobilize the spirit of protest, to form safe communities, to plan their return to the streets of our cities,” the leader urged in the “Telegram” app.
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper “Le Temps”, Cihanouska previously admitted that the opposition forces have now lost the “street fight” and that victory over the regime of the authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko will take more time than originally predicted.
She also expressed hope that mass protests in the country will continue in the spring.
In a conversation with the Russian edition of “The Insider”, Franço Vyachorka, Cihanoouska’s international adviser, admitted that the actions on the streets would start with the “warmer weather and the sun”.
“March 25 could be the decisive date for the spring protests,” Vyachorka said.
Freedom Day March 25 is an unofficial day of remembrance in Belarus to mark the proclamation of the independence of the People’s Republic of Belarus in 1918.
Immediately after the August 9 presidential election in Belarus, protests against the Lukashenko regime began, which in turn became unprecedented in the mass movement.
Former President Lukashenko has been declared the winner of the election, but the opposition accuses the regime of widespread falsification of the election results and demands his resignation. The opposition considers Cihanouska to be the real winner of the election.
Thousands have been detained during the protests, at least four demonstrators have died and several independent journalists are facing years in prison.
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