Good afternoon! This is the BYSOL fundraising team. We are opening a fundraiser in support of public figure, activist and local historian Ales Yurkoitia.
This story is not really about the 2020 protests, but about the events that happened before it: about the bias of the Belarusian court, politically motivated repressions and permissiveness of the authorities after the elections.
Ales Yurkoit has always been the engine of social and cultural life in his region. Having created the local history society “Vilnyar”, he installed memorial signs to Belarusian poets, founded a museum, organized festivals and creative events, gave lectures and organized local history excursions. It was thanks to Ales' initiative that a monument was erected on the anniversary of Kastus Kalinowski's uprising in 2013.
In the spring of 2015, a group of Oshmian customs officers were detained on charges of corruption. Ales Yurkoit, who served with them at the same border checkpoint, was also arrested. Ales did not recognize his involvement in the activities of his former colleagues, spoke in court about torture in the KGB prison and repeatedly stated that there were no facts and evidence against him in the court case. Nevertheless, in 2017 he was sentenced to 7 years in prison. This trial was described in the book “Tantamaraski” by publicist Sergei Dubovets.
After his release in 2021, the pressure on Ales Yurkoitya did not stop. KGB and police officers continued interrogations, conducted searches and threatened with new arrests:
– After his release from prison, KGB and police officers continued the pressure (first six-month preventive surveillance, then monthly preventive calls, constant visits to his place of residence, and threats). This year the house was searched again, taken away in handcuffs and abused like cattle, put on a special metal chair. At night, the handcuffs were removed and they were released home on foot.
To escape the abuse, Ales, together with his wife and three daughters, was forced to leave for Poland.
– I was the first to leave, and last week the whole family arrived: my wife and three children. The situation is complicated by the fact that the youngest daughter has a disability group and my wife will not be able to work fully. We will be sincerely grateful for any help!
How much is needed?
€3700
€1300 — winter clothes for the family,
€900 — medical examination, purchase of medicines and translation of medical documents into Polish,
€800 — collection for children's education (purchase of school supplies, laptop and phone).
€700 — household expenses, essentials and food.