PRAGUE -- Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called on her compatriots to stand up and defend their country's independence in the face of what she said was "Russian aggression and imperialism" as Belarusians marked Freedom Day (Dzen Voli) to honor the anniversary of the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic, which existed for less than a year in 1918.
"We're confronted with Russian aggression and imperialism, and we must stand firm in defense of our nation's independence," Tsikhanouskaya told RFE/RL's Belarus Service on March 25 in Prague, where she was visiting to mark Freedom Day.
"We must uphold with integrity and dignity the work initiated by our forefathers. It's imperative that this struggle doesn't protract indefinitely, allowing our generation to safeguard our independence and sovereignty," she said.
Belarus's authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who has been in power since 1994, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has allowed the use of the Belarusian territory and military installations in Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Belarus in 1999 also created a so-called Union State, a supranational body consisting of the two countries, with the declared intention of eventually merging. However, Lukashenka has been procrastinating on the full implementation of the agreement.
SEE ALSO: In Belarus, One-Fourth Of 'Political' Criminal Cases Were About Lukashenka InsultsLukashenka claimed to have won a sixth term in office in an election in August 2020. While the official results handed Lukashenka victory, the opposition and many Western governments and organizations said the poll was rigged and that Tsikhanouskaya, who stepped in as a candidate in her husband's place after his arrest, actually won.
Her husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was detained before the election to prevent him from registering in as a candidate and was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2021 for fomenting mass disorder, inciting social hatred, impeding the activities of the Central Election Commission, and organizing activities that disrupt social order, charges that he and his supporters have rejected as politically motivated.
After the election, Lukashenka cracked down hard on dissent and civil society, jailing hundreds of people and forcing most of the country's opposition figures, including Tsikhanouskaya, to flee in fear of their safety and freedom.
Tsikhanouskaya now works out of Vilnius and keeps a busy schedule to promote Belarusian democracy. She said earlier this month that she has received no information on her husband for one year and called on UN chief Antonio Guterres to intervene on behalf of all political prisoners held in Belarus.
Tsikhanouskaya noted in the interview that Belarus's next presidential election is scheduled to take place in 2025 and predicted it would be an "illegal farce" preceded by more "big purges" because Lukashenka "is afraid of Belarusians."
The opposition will mobilize people and conduct campaigns despite laws that have been passed to squelch the opposition.
"We have to be strong.... We have to strengthen the networks of people inside and outside the country to act together," she said.
Tsikhanouskaya also expressed her strong support for Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who died on February 16 in a Russian Arctic prison under suspicious circumstances. Navalnaya has vowed to continue her husband's struggle.
"I understand that we share many similarities. My husband is a political prisoner, and Yulia experienced a tragedy," Tsikhanouskaya said.
"She is an incredibly strong woman, and I hope she can unite people, particularly the opposition, around her cause so that she will not lose contact with the Russians and will be able to show that she works for them first," Tsikhanouskaya told RFE/RL.
She said it would be vital for the Russian opposition to clarify they will "relinquish their imperialist ambitions, respect our borders, and support our European aspirations," adding that she believes Navalnaya “has the potential to achieve this, supported by a formidable team, but it's essential for her to establish a connection with the people."
Tsikhanouskaya, who has met with diplomats and heads of state across Europe and also traveled to the United States for meetings with top officials to help maintain the cause of Belarusian democracy, said she endures the demands of her role knowing that she has the support of Belarusians.
"These are not trivial words.... I understand I am not alone," she said, adding that any pain turns to energy as she thinks of the prisoners who are locked up in Belarus in difficult conditions waiting for action.
"That we will not give up and will continue to work...this is the biggest motivator," she said.