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In 1949, through the efforts of Jonas Žemaitis, a former graduate of the Military School, the Lithuanian Partisan Movement was finally united and in February he was elected the Chairman of the Presidium of the Council of the Movement of the Struggle for Freedom of Lithuania (according to the Declaration of the Council of the Movement of the Struggle for Freedom of Lithuania of 16 February 1949, after the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania, the Chairman of the Presidium held the position of the President of the Republic of Lithuania).

That year Jonas Žemaitis was commissioned as the Partisan General and led the movement till his betrayal on 30 May 1953 when his bunker was discovered and he was concussed by a grenade and arrested. In June 1954, Jonas Žemaitis was sentenced to death in a closed session and executed on November 26 in Butyrka prison in Moscow. His words, spoken after the sentence was pronounced, have come true:
 
“Just like the followers of mine, I think that the Soviet Union invaded our country with its armed forces… I consider this step of the Soviet government illegal. All the underground anti-Soviet activities, a participant of which I am, I consider righteous and non-criminal. I want to emphasize that as long as I have been leading the Lithuanian struggle for freedom, I have been making every effort to stick to the principles of humanity… No brutal activities have been allowed... I am aware of the sentence to be pronounced. Still, I believe that the fight I have been leading for nine years will achieve the desired outcomes”.

On February 16th, 2019, one of the most famous sites in Canada was lit up in the colours of the Lithuanian flag in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the declaration of  Lithuania’s Freedom Fighters!

In 1949, freedom fighters Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas, Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, Aleksandras Grybinas-Faustas, Vytautas Gužas-Kardas, Juozas Šibaila-Merainis, Bronius Liesis-Naktis, Leonardas Grigonis-Užpalis, Petras Bartkus-Žadgaila (names and code-names) signed the Declaration of the Independence of Lithuania on February 16th.

This declaration was ratified as an act of law on January 12, 1999 by the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania. According to the declaration, Lithuania is a democratic republic, and its sovereign government belongs to the Lithuanian nation. Occupation by the Soviet Union contravenes this declaration and all possible means will be employed to reestablish Lithuanian Independence, a goal which all Lithuanians, living in the homeland and abroad, are invited to share.

The Seimas of Lithuania has proclaimed 2019 the year of Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas, who had the factual role of President of Lithuania during the Freedom Wars.