A former political prisoner was forced to emigrate to Poland after prison, but due to health problems, he urgently needs support while he recovers and looks for work.
My name is Anton Sotnikov. I am a former political prisoner from Brest.
When I was released from prison on April 7, 2025, I was placed under another two years of preventive supervision. This means living under constant checks and control, and getting permission whenever I need to travel somewhere.
I was tried as part of the so-called “Brest case,” and during a series of court hearings, my grandmother died. She was the closest person to me, the person who had taken my mother’s place. During four and a half years of imprisonment in a high-security correctional facility, I lived with a heavy heart and a dream of visiting her grave to say goodbye.
While under supervision, I requested permission to travel to Brest to visit my grandmother’s grave, but I was denied. So I deliberately went without their permission. Unfortunately, on the way, my face was recognized by an artificial intelligence camera. I was fined and threatened with a new criminal case. It was only a matter of time before I was imprisoned again.
I urgently left the country with the help of the BYSOL evacuation team and went to Poland, where I have already received refugee status. However, work and good health do not come automatically with this status.
My health deteriorated significantly after imprisonment. In winter, my left knee suddenly became severely swollen, and I could not walk properly. Then problems started with my shoulder joint, also on the left side. Then I was completely “knocked down”: I could barely walk, and it turned out to be due to inflammation of a spinal nerve (all the nerve endings on the left side were affected). In the punishment cell, I constantly slept on my left side. The cold, concrete, stress, and constant tension all took their toll later.
This inflammation cannot be treated in a single day: I need medication, a course of massage, and time to recover. Almost everything I managed to earn and save has gone toward medication, medical examinations, and food. I was unable to work full-time. My expenses kept increasing, while I could no longer earn as much as before.
Before my detention, I worked in construction, and this kind of work can be found anywhere. But at the moment, my health does not allow me to take a physically demanding job. The inhumane conditions in the correctional facility and the regular periods I spent in the punishment cell have taken their toll.
I am asking for your support while I undergo treatment and recover. If I could work normally, I wouldn’t be asking for help. Right now, my task is to hold on, not to break down after prison, restore my health, find a job, and become an independent person again. Any help right now will give me the opportunity to keep a roof over my head, pay for the essentials, and get my life back on track in a foreign country.
Fundraising goal
€2100
€1200 – rent and utility bills
€500 – food, household expenses, and transportation
€400 – medication, medical examinations, and recovery from problems with my back, nerve, and joints