{"id":180834,"date":"2026-03-25T12:29:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T09:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/180834\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T12:45:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T09:45:07","slug":"statkievic-belarus-would-not-exist-today-without-1918-independence","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/180834\/","title":{"rendered":"Statkievi\u010d: Belarus would not exist today without 1918 independence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 25, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Without the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic\u2019s independence on March 25, 1918, neither the Soviet-era Belarusian state nor today\u2019s Republic of Belarus would likely exist, Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d has said on Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the proclamation of independence, Belarusians declared their desire and right to their own state, stressed the politician, who was released from prison last month after a stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn those turbulent and violent times, the new state\u2019s survival, and even recognition by major powers, depended on having credible military strength. The founders of the Belarusian People’s Republic, however, were unable to build such a force,\u201d he noted, urging a critical reassessment of historical lessons and the need to \u201cdraw the right conclusions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statkievi\u010d also shared a brief Freedom Day video message to Belarusians, which also showed physical effects of his recent stroke, including speech difficulties and facial asymmetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The politician was arrested months before the 2020 presidential election and then sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of organizing mass unrest, although large-scale protests broke out two months later. His case was widely seen as politically motivated. He was pardoned in September 2025 as part of Alksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s deal with Washington. All freed people were taken to Lithuania, except for Statkievi\u010d, who refused to leave Belarus and remained at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border crossing for several hours, as confirmed by CCTV footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In November 2025, the interior ministry informed his family members that he was taken back to prison to serve his original 14-year sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prison authorities stopped giving him necessary medications, replacing them with ineffective alternatives, Statkievi\u010d reportedly told his wife, commenting on the recent months behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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