Hundreds protest in Lithuania to mark the third anniversary of democracy protests

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Hundreds of Belarusians gathered on Wednesday in the Lithuanian capital to commemorate the third anniversary of the pro-democracy protests that were suppressed by President Alexander Lukashenko after his re-election to a new presidential term in 2020 in elections widely considered to be fraudulent.

The crackdown led to the escape of tens of thousands from Belarus, while about 1,500 people remain imprisoned since the protests of August 9, 2020, rejecting Lukashenko's re-election for a sixth term.

Belarusian opposition leader, living in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in Vilnius, declared, "We are children of a homeland for all of us, not for the usurpers."

She added, "I want to say to our enemies (...) we will not surrender. Nothing will stop us until we regain our country."

The foreign ministers of neighboring Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland denounced the "illegitimate regime" in Minsk and "enormous internal repression."

In a joint statement, they said that political prisoners in Belarus "are subjected to inhumane treatment, and even torture, and many of them have been deprived of all forms of communication for months."

Maria, a 27-year-old participant in the demonstration, remarked, "I sometimes feel that I should be there like anyone else, behind bars."

She added that she had expected real change after the 2020 elections, but today, she sees only "more and more violence and repression" in her country, noting that "everyone is afraid of everything."

On Wednesday, Tsikhanouskaya was awarded the Anna Lindh prize, named in memory of the former Swedish Foreign Minister, for her "ongoing" struggle for democracy, according to the organizers.

Tsikhanouskaya (40), who became the main face of the opposition in Belarus during the protests against the presidential elections, is now a refugee in Lithuania.

In early March, a Belarusian court sentenced Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison in absentia as part of Lukashenko's crackdown campaign.

Belarus, an ally of Russia, has been ruled by Alexander Lukashenko with an iron fist since 1994. The ongoing repression and suppression of voices calling for democracy continue to be an issue of international concern. The recent protests and international support for the opposition leaders reflect the growing discontent with Lukashenko's regime and the desire for a democratic transformation in the country.