Artsyom* is an activist from Bobruisk who took part in the 2020 protests and campaigned for alternative presidential candidates. For four years, he believed he was no longer at risk. But in October 2024, he suddenly learned he was wanted by the criminal investigation unit.
Law enforcers visited his workplace and registered address. When a dark-tinted van pulled up at his parents’ house, he was forced to escape through the window. The next morning, his parents' home was raided: the officers broke in, threatened his father with a gun, and assaulted his mother during the search.
He later found out that the reason was a repost in the group Čaj z malinavym varennem. The authorities accused him of publicly insulting the president and government, spreading false information, and making public calls to action.
Following his lawyer’s advice—“You’ll definitely go to prison”—he fled Belarus via Russia and the Baltics, eventually reaching Poland.
Today, Artsyom is living in a refugee camp without a work permit or access to proper medical care. The stress and persecution have caused a serious relapse of a chronic condition: a tumor previously removed from his intestines has returned.
He urgently needs support to cover basic living expenses and medical care.
*This is an anonymous story. For security purposes, we have changed the hero's name. The image is generated using AI.
Fundraising Goal
€1580
€1000 – rent for two months
€280 – medication and treatment
€300 – transport, food, and essential items