Furniture assembler Aliaksei Sanchuk joined the protest movement in 2020. Together with his friends, he organized unusual protest actions and was one of the drummers who set the rhythm of the protests.
My name is Aliaksei, I am 36 years old, and just under a month ago I was released from Correctional Facility No. 17 in Shklou. I spent almost six years behind bars, serving my entire prison term from beginning to end. At first, of course, no one believed it would come to that. We thought we would be released much sooner.
Together with my friends, I took part in protest marches – but not in the usual way. We were the very group called “Demand to Disperse”, the drummers who played at every major protest march and quite literally set the rhythm of the protests.
Do you remember the march where people carried a coffin? On August 31, Lukashenko's birthday? That coffin was my work too. My friends and I built the structure in just one evening, painted it black, and brought it to the march.
They came for me on November 4, right in the middle of a rehearsal while we were learning a new rhythm. The door opened, several assault rifles appeared first, and then OMON officers entered. They arrested me along with 15 other people. Later, I was beaten at the district police department for refusing to unlock my phone. As a result, I could barely breathe properly for four months – apparently I had a crack in my rib cage. In the end, I was forced to unlock the phone. I was sentenced to six years in a correctional facility and ordered to pay 161,900 Belarusian rubles in damages. My mother and my wife managed to pay off part of this debt.
During my imprisonment, the KGB searched our apartment several times and also opened a criminal case against my wife because she had received assistance from the I Need Help project. My daughter grew up while I was away – we hadn't seen each other for almost six years, and she is already 13. I still can't fully grasp that my little girl has become so grown up.
Three days after my release, I left Belarus for Georgia with just one small backpack containing my documents, socks, and underwear. Why? Because I was placed under preventive supervision: restrictions on movement, mandatory check-ins at the district police department, and other prohibitions. Three violations – and I would face another criminal case.
While my family remained in Belarus, my wife was once again summoned for interrogations by law enforcers. Fortunately, we managed to evacuate her and our daughter, and now they are with me. We are free and alive, but we are starting our lives from scratch, and we desperately need help.
After my release, I turned to organizations supporting victims of political persecution. They covered the cost of a full medical check-up and also launched a fundraiser to help us through our first months in Georgia. However, given the current situation for Belarusians in this country, it is not safe for me to stay here. Our next plan is to move to Poland.
All of us have suffered, both physically and mentally. My teeth, joints, hearing, and overall health have all been seriously affected. We urgently need your support to pay for medical treatment and to help our daughter continue her education. She needs tutors and preparation for school in a new country. We also need funds for relocating to Poland, where we will feel much safer.
Fundraising Goal:
€3,500
€1,000 – medical treatment after the correctional facility
€1,000 – school preparation and tutoring for our daughter in a new country
€1,500 – relocation to Poland and living expenses during our first months there