Cichanoŭskaja, on independence anniversary, urges officials to defend sovereignty

August 25, Pozirk. Opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, marking the 34th anniversary of the restoration of Belarusian independence, called on officials to protect the country’s sovereignty and voiced concern over Belarus’ vulnerability to Russian influence.

“Today I want to appeal to all Belarusians, especially to those who remain within the system: do not allow the regime to surrender the most precious thing we have,” she said in a statement.

On August 25, 1991, the Declaration of Sovereignty, adopted the previous year, was granted the force of law, making Belarus independent for the first time since the Belarusian People’s Republic (BNR), the short-lived state proclaimed in 1918.

Cichanoŭskaja emphasized that every generation of Belarusians has paid a price for independence, which she described as encompassing not only borders and sovereignty but also peace, security, and confidence in the future.

“Without independence, there is no freedom and no future,” she stressed.

Independence, she added, “means being part of a free Europe, not a province of a foreign empire”—a pointed reference to Russia.

Ivonka Surviła, the Canada-based chairwoman of the exiled BNR Rada, has also issued a statement to mark the anniversary, urging the nation to coalesce.

“Free Belarus is our goal”: Cichanoŭskaja marks 35 years since Sovereignty Declaration