Hello! My name is David Mostitski, I’m from Pinsk.
I took part in the peaceful protests on August 9, 2020, in Pinsk, and was detained just a month later. At first as a witness, and then as a defendant in the so-called “Pinsk case.” I was sentenced to five and a half years in a correctional facility. I was 19 at the time.
I spent 4 years in prison just for hitting a law enforcer’s shield with my hand. Every day for all those years in the correctional facility, I’d wake up wondering if they’d throw me into the punishment cell that day—because they didn’t need any special reason to do it. The prison administration could find fault with anything, or invent a pretext if there wasn’t one, to issue a violation of regime rules or noncompliance.
Although I was released in September 2024 under a pardon, the accumulated “violations” led to my release being accompanied by preventive supervision. Even in freedom, due to that supervision, I remained under intense psychological pressure and constant police control. Their goal was to send me back to the correctional facility.
That’s why I had to flee Belarus urgently. The journey to Poland was long and difficult, and I didn’t believe until the last moment that I would make it.
Now my life is safe, and I am finally free. One task remains: to recover mentally and physically from these years of hardship and adapt to life in a new country.
Four years in a correctional facility have taken a toll on my health. I have dental issues that are not covered by public health insurance in Poland and require urgent treatment. After applying for international protection, I am currently not allowed to work legally, and my side jobs are not enough to cover health expenses and rent.
The immediate future fills me with fear and helplessness. I try to hold on to hope and faith in kind people, and that’s why I’m asking you to support me for these first few months.
Thank you for your support, compassion, and belief in kindness.
Preventive supervision is a control measure applied to people after their release. It includes regular check-ins with police officers, bans on participating in certain events, bans on leaving the country or city, and obligations to report any change of residence or employment. Additional restrictions may also be imposed.
Fundraising Goal
€3000
€2200 – rent for 3 months (including deposit)
€500 – food, household items, and seasonal footwear
€300 – dental restoration not covered by insurance