Hello! This is the BYSOL fundraising team, and we have good news!
Yesterday, our evacuation team helped journalist and former political prisoner Kseniya Lutskina leave Belarus. She is now safe, but she needs your support. At her request, we are launching this fundraiser.
Kseniya Olegovna Lutskina worked at Belteleradiocompany, producing documentary films on historical topics. In August 2020, after the elections, she joined the staff strike of the media holding, expressing her disagreement with the leadership’s policies, and resigned from her position as a special correspondent. She later became a key member of the Coordination Council, responsible for press relations, and, together with other dismissed journalists, planned to create an “alternative television” on YouTube.
On December 22, 2020, Kseniya was arrested in Minsk. Initially, she was charged with tax evasion, but later the charge was reclassified as “conspiracy to seize state power.” On September 28, 2022, a court sentenced her to 8 years in a general-regime penal colony.
During her imprisonment, Kseniya’s health significantly deteriorated. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor that kept growing, causing constant headaches and requiring regular painkillers. In February 2023, she suffered from severe bilateral pneumonia, further weakening her body. Exactly a year later, in February 2024, she faced another pneumonia episode.
Despite continuous pressure, in 2021, Kseniya refused to sign a petition for clemency addressed to Lukashenko, staying true to her principles.
On January 13, 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs included her in the “List of Belarusian Citizens, Foreign Citizens, or Stateless Persons Involved in Extremist Activities.”
On August 20, 2024, Kseniya Lutskina was released under a so-called “pardon,” and on March 3, with the help of the BYSOL evacuation team, she left Belarus. Kseniya is finally free, but the fight for her life and health is not over. After four years in prison and serious illnesses, she urgently needs medical care, recovery, and support. We are launching this fundraiser to help Kseniya start a new chapter in her life—one without fear, pain, or threats.
Thank you for your solidarity!
BYSOL Fundraising Team
Fundraising Goal:
€7,000
We set this amount because Kseniya has a severe medical condition that requires treatment. We expect that most of the funds will go towards medical expenses, with a small portion allocated for her adaptation.