My name is Yan Zygmantovich, and I am a former student of the Academy of Arts. My story would be hard to invent, yet I am sure it could fit thousands of Belarusians.
In November 2020 I was arrested at a march in Minsk. First I was beaten by law enforcers, then judge Viktoria Shabunya convicted me under Article 24.23 of the Administrative Code and sent me to 15 days in the Minsk temporary detention facility on Okrestina. After the 15 days I was expelled from the Academy, but the expulsion order was withheld for months so that I could not reinstate or transfer abroad. I went to the dean’s office as if to work, but there they almost spat in my face. In the end they made it clear that expulsion was only the beginning. Even the vice-rector openly said: “if you have a chance to leave the country, you’d better leave.”
In 2021 I left Belarus. At first I lived in Ukraine, then in Poland, later I ended up in Romania. Here I continue my studies, but all this time I have been facing problems. My passport expired, and at the embassy they told me I was on the “travel ban lists” and advised me to urgently return to Belarus. That left me without documents, without a bank account, and without the possibility of official employment.
For a long time I earned a living working for civic initiatives and independent media, but those opportunities ended. Today I am practically without means. To apply for international protection, I need to move at least temporarily to Bucharest. For this I need a rental contract, and after submitting the documents I will not be able to work for three months.
I constantly think about the possibility of being deported. The paperwork is being delayed, in local institutions they frighten me with a camp and expulsion. It is a constant sense of deadlock. At the moment I have no financial cushion, and I am forced to ask for help in order to move to Bucharest and legalize my status.
Fundraising goal:
€1500
€1000 – housing rental and relocation expenses to Bucharest
€500 – legal assistance and consultations for applying for international protection