My name is Denis Ivanov. I'm an actor and… a former political prisoner.
In the summer of 2020, like many people, I was dumbfounded by the lawlessness that was going on in Belarus. That's why I participated in peaceful rallies and volunteered at the camp near Okrestina.
Because of this, denunciations were written on me. On October 24, 2020 I was detained by officers of the Main Department of Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I was interrogated and then sent to Okrestina, where a masked judge (I couldn't see my face) gave me 14 days under administrative article 23.34 (violation of the order of organizing or holding mass events).
Being on «24 hours» I finally realized that the country is in the hands of the usurper.
But the denunciations against me did not stop. In February 2021 they came to our house with a search. A couple of days later, I was summoned to the police station, where I was detained again. This time I was charged with criminal article 368 part 1 (insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus) and was again taken to Okrestina.
I was released after three days on my own recognizance and on the surety of my friends.
On March 24, 2021, a trial was held on this case, where I was sentenced to 2 years of “chemistry” (restriction of freedom with a referral to an open-type correctional institution). The Court of Appeal left the sentence unchanged.
Denunciations on my wife began. There was written such nonsense that even the district police officer did not know how to respond to it properly.
From August 8, 2021 to July 29, 2023 I was in an open-type correctional institution in Vitebsk. I worked as a loader for 500 rubles. A few days after my arrival, I was given a yellow tag with the inscription “prone to extremist and other destructive activities”. Every hour from 10 am to 8 pm I had to go to the formation. If I was at work, I had to send a broadcast with geolocation. In addition, the civilian I was assigned to at work would get a call every hour asking if I was there.
Every weekend we were given educational talks. For some reason, it was mostly about World War II. They showed us movies about Stalin, released in 1947-1949.
Once we were visited by a priest. I didn't make it to that meeting, but comrades told me that he praised the Russian army and rejoiced in the war.
Several times officers of the State Department of Bureau of Internal Affairs came to visit. The ordinary prisoners were locked up in the assembly hall, and we political prisoners were taken one by one for interrogation.
At one of such conversations, a colonel once asked me who should be the president of Belarus. I answered that there were alternative candidates. But if they are not suitable, we can make my interlocutor president. It won't be worse anyway. The colonel smiled and ended the conversation.
Any exit to the city for those who were in the colony had to be coordinated with the administration. Political prisoners were not allowed to go into the city on their own — only with an escort. Not even to the store or the clinic.
While I was in the colony, my wife and child left Belarus. Therefore, after my release, I also packed my things and with the help of BYSOL went to my family.
We are a creative family. Our son is 5 years old.
Now I am looking for a job. I would like to be in the same field I worked in before. We are learning the language. We're renting a place to live. We want to work in projects that tell about life about and goodness.
But we need your help to come to our senses and start living again in a new country.
How much is needed?
€3500
Rent for an apartment for a few months — €2000
Laptop needed for work — €600
Telephone — €400
Household needs (food, clothes, household items) — €500