{"id":147717,"date":"2025-07-22T19:24:30","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T16:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/147717\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lithuanian-president-warns-people-against-judging-cichanouski-harshly","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/147717\/","title":{"rendered":"Lithuanian president warns people against judging Cichano\u016dski harshly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
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\n\n Nauseda shaking hands with Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski in Vilnius on July 6\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (\u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja's press office)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

July 22, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus\u0117da has defended Belarusian opposition politician Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski after his remark caused a stir among some Lithuanian nationalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naus\u0117da called on people to understand the politician who had spent five years in prison \u201cin terrible conditions,\u201d Delfi<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving spent many years in a dark prison, he may have a slightly different view of the processes that are actually taking place,\u201d the president said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of Cichano\u016dski\u2019s idea of building autonomous Belarusian \u201cislands\u201d abroad, Naus\u0117da said, \u201cI will never agree to the creation of any \u2018islands\u2019 in Lithuania. We had attempts to create autonomies during periods of independence, and nothing came out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added, \u201cWe are always ready to shelter other people fleeing political persecution, but first and foremost we consider the interests of our own national security. This, in my opinion, is a matter of national security, and we will not allow improvisation here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja released a video of her husband expressing regret that his remarks were misunderstood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one suggested creating any autonomous regions or enclaves in Lithuania. Belarusians are immensely grateful to Lithuania for its hospitality, and we respect Lithuania’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,\u201d Cichano\u016dski said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that by \u201cislands\u201d he referred to Belarusian communities in exile that should keep in touch and help each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cichano\u016dski noted that he had previously told Naus\u0117da and Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys that he will be \u201cforever indebted\u201d to Lithuania for saving his children. The former political prisoner had a brief conversation with the president in Vilnius on July 6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cichano\u016dski also thanked \u201cthe Lithuanian people, the Lithuanian government and the parliament for accepting Belarusians and supporting our struggle for freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo one dares to encroach on your sovereignty. And I understand why this is so important. Lithuanian history is a history of victories, a history of the struggle for freedom. We Belarusians and Lithuanians have one common enemy\u2014the [Alaksandar] \u0141uka\u0161enka regime and [Vladimir] Putin\u2019s imperialist regime. Let’s support each other in this struggle,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an interview released by the YouTube channel Zhizn-Malina on July 6, Cichano\u016dski said, \u201cI want to live in Belarus. I thought about this a lot in prison. If Belarusians don’t want to fight and believe in me, let them believe in someone else, but the main thing is that they fight and this produces results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added, \u201cI will start building islands here, like the Germans had a German autonomous region in Russia, and there was also a Jewish one. After all, a country is its people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, Cichano\u016dski, who was held incommunicado for the last five years, made several other controversial statements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

July 22, Pozirk. Lithuanian President Gitanas Naus\u0117da has defended Belarusian opposition politician Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski after his remark caused a stir among some Lithuanian nationalists. Naus\u0117da called on people to understand the politician who had spent five years in prison \u201cin terrible conditions,\u201d Delfi reported. \u201cHaving spent many years in a dark prison, he may have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":145616,"template":"","rubric":[16,15],"class_list":["post-147717","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics","rubric-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLithuanian president warns people against judging Cichano\u016dski harshly | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"July 22, Pozirk. 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