Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, marking the 32nd anniversary of Belarus's adoption of a document issued by the Supreme Soviet of Belarus to assert its independence from the Soviet Union, said her country’s independence has come under its "greatest threat" ever because of the rule of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
In a video statement posted on YouTube on August 25, Tsikhanouskaya said that 32 years ago "the dream of many generations" of Belarusians came true as Belarusian independence arrived thanks to "the heroism of past generations."
That has all changed, she added, with moves Lukashenka has taken to align the country closely with neighboring Russia, including allowing the Kremlin to stage military operations from Belarusian territory since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"Today, our country again finds itself at a crossroads: to become a part of 'the Russian world' and be absorbed within an empire or to escape its clutches and become a wealthy and free European nation. Today we again have to stand for our independence, because its is under its greatest threat ever in modern history," she said.
"There are Russian soldiers on our territory now, their military bases as well. There are mercenaries, criminals who are destroying Ukrainian cities and killing civilians. [Russia's] nuclear weapons are here, turning Belarus into a target on military maps," Tsikhanouskaya said.
Lukashenka has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since taking power in 1994.
He claimed to have won a sixth term in office in an election in August 2020, which the opposition and many Western government say was rigged.
Since then, he has cracked down hard on dissent and civil society, jailing hundreds and forcing most of the country's opposition figures, including Tsikhanouskaya, to flee in fear of their safety and freedom.
The Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was issued by the Supreme Soviet of Belarus to assert its independence from the Soviet Union. First approved on July 27, 1990, the declaration initiated the process of Belarus' eventual independence on August 25, 1991. Less than four months later, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved.