View source for Freedom Day (Belarus)

{{Short description|Unofficial holiday in Belarus}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{expand Belarusian|topic=gov|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox holiday
|holiday_name  = Freedom Day
|type          = 
|image         = Дзень Волі 2018.jpg 
|imagesize     =
|caption       = Freedom Day demonstration in front of the [[National Opera and Ballet of Belarus]] building in [[Minsk]] in 2018
|official_name = Дзень Волі
|nickname      =
|observedby    = [[Belarus]], [[Belarusian diaspora]]
|litcolor      =
|longtype      =
|significance  =
|begins        =
|ends          =
|date          = 25 March
|celebrations  =
|observances   =
|relatedto     = Declaration of independence by the [[Belarusian Democratic Republic]] in 1918
|duration      = 1 day
|frequency     = annual
|scheduling    = 
}}
'''Freedom Day''' ({{langx|be|Дзень Волі|Dzień Voli}}; {{langx|ru|День Воли|Den' voli}}) is an unofficial holiday in [[Belarus]] celebrated on 25 March to commemorate the declaration of independence by the [[Belarusian Democratic Republic]] by the [[Third Constituent Charter]] on that date in 1918. It is also known as the '''25-aha sakavika''' ({{Langx|be|25-ага сакавіка}}, March 25) day.

[[File:DzenVoli2007.jpg|thumb|250px|right|''Freedom Day'' celebration rally held by the Belarusian opposition in 2007]]

Freedom Day has been celebrated as the [[Independence Day (Belarus)|Independence Day of Belarus]] by the Belarusian independence movement since the early 1920s. It is widely celebrated by the [[Belarusian diaspora]].

In the [[United States]], governors and US presidents, including [[Dwight Eisenhower]], [[Ronald Reagan]], [[George H. W. Bush]] and [[Bill Clinton]], have traditionally issued official greetings to the [[Belarusian American]] community on 25 March.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Belarusian Independence Day in New York – proclamation by Mayor Rudi Giuliani|work=[[Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic]]|date=May 6, 2020 |url=http://www.radabnr.org/en/belarusian-independence-day-in-new-york-proclamation-by-mayor-rudi-giuliani/|access-date=2021-02-24|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Anniversary of the Belarusian Democratic Republic – greeting from US President Bill Clinton, 1995|work=[[Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic]]|date=March 15, 2017|url=http://www.radabnr.org/en/anniversary-of-the-belarusian-democratic-republic-greeting-from-us-president-bill-clinton-1995/|access-date=2021-02-24|language=en-GB}}</ref>

The [[Belarusian democracy movement|Belarusian opposition]] to the dictatorial regime of [[Alexander Lukashenko]] celebrates Freedom Day annually. The protests in Belarus are regularly accompanied by mass detention and torture of the protesters.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-03-25|title=Freedom Day in Belarus: mass detentions, water cannons and security forces. A PHOTO. VIDEO|url=https://www.forumdaily.com/en/den-voli-v-belarusi-massovye-zaderzhaniya-vodomety-i-siloviki-foto-video/|access-date=2021-02-24|website=ForumDaily|language=en|archive-date=February 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202041858/https://www.forumdaily.com/en/den-voli-v-belarusi-massovye-zaderzhaniya-vodomety-i-siloviki-foto-video/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-03|title=Belarus: 'Freedom Day' Crackdown|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/04/04/belarus-freedom-day-crackdown|access-date=2021-02-24|website=[[Human Rights Watch]]|language=en}}</ref> The government does not recognize Freedom Day claiming that the Belarusian Democratic Republic was created by the [[German Empire|Germans]], which occupied Belarus in 1918 and with Lukashenko describing it as a "dismal page in our history".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2018-03-26|title=Dozens arrested as Belarus opposition marks 'Freedom Day'|url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/freedom-of-thought/news/dozens-arrested-as-belarus-opposition-marks-freedom-day/|access-date=2021-02-24|website=[[EurActiv]]|language=en-GB}}</ref> However, since the 2018 event which marked the centenary of the BDR, the authorities have somewhat rolled back some the crackdowns and criticism - in 2018 authorities granted a permission to organize a ceremony and concert in Minsk with 11,000 attendants, and in 2019 events in Minsk and the regions took place without large-scale repression.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Rudnik|first=Alesia|date=2019-03-25|title=Belarusian Freedom Day 2019: are the authorities warming to the idea?|url=https://belarusdigest.com/story/belarusian-freedom-day-2019-are-the-authorities-warming-to-the-idea/|access-date=2021-02-24|website=Belarus Digest}}</ref>

In 2020, Belarusian musician {{Interlanguage link|Źmicier Vajciuškievič|be|Зміцер Вайцюшкевіч}} created a song commemorated to the day and named it '''25aha sakavika'''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-03-25|title=Зміцер Вайцюшкевіч — 25 сакавіка (верш Уладзіміра Някляева)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ek2SMjgs10&ab_channel=%D0%93%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/8Ek2SMjgs10 |archive-date=2021-12-21|url-status=live|website=Годна - YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Freedom Day 2021 was the last day of [[2020–2021 Belarusian protests|protest marches]] against the alleged fraudulent [[2020 Belarusian presidential election]].<ref name="2021FreedomDayBelarus">{{cite web|date=25 March 2021|title=Hundreds arrested in Belarus 'Freedom Day' protest|url=https://apnews.com/article/europe-alexander-lukashenko-belarus-media-arrests-aef0d0923fed81bd63014f7d258760eb|access-date=25 May 2021|work=[[Associated Press]]|location=[[Kyiv]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/articles/2021/05/24/7123516/|title=Terrorism from Lukashenko: what threatens the dictator Ryanair-conflict with the West|work=[[European Pravda]]|date=May 24, 2021}}</ref> More than 200 people were arrested.<ref name="2021FreedomDayBelarus"/>

On May 16, 2024, the [[Investigative Committee of Belarus]] announced that criminal cases had been opened against participants of the 2024 emigrant celebrations under articles of the criminal code on the creation of an extremist group and participation in it and on discrediting the Republic of Belarus. The Investigative Committee announced that it has information about 104 persons who participated in the celebration of Freedom Day in various cities abroad, and also announced searches, seizures of property and proceedings [[Trial in absentia|in absentia]] against the suspects.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20240516-%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%83%D1%81%D0%B8-%D1%83%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%82-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C-%D1%83-%D1%83%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B4%D0%BD%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0%B2-%D1%8D%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B8|title=Власти Беларуси угрожают отобрать недвижимость у участников празднования Дня воли в эмиграции|work=[[Radio France Internationale]]|date=May 16, 2024|access-date=May 18, 2024|language=ru}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Public holidays in Belarus]]
* [[Freedom Day (disambiguation)]] in other countries

{{Commons category|Freedom Day (Belarus)}}

==References==
<references/>

{{Belarusian democracy movement}}

[[Category:Remembrance days]]
[[Category:Society of Belarus]]
[[Category:March observances]]
[[Category:Politics of Belarus]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Belarus]]
[[Category:Belarusian independence movement]]
[[Category:Spring (season) in Belarus]]


{{Belarus-politics-stub}}