My name is Gleb Romanov. I am a former political prisoner.
In August 2020, I went out on a peaceful protest, like many Brest citizens. And 3 days later I was detained and sent for interrogation, which lasted about 12 hours. Then they sent me to a temporary detention center for another 3 days, and then released me with a 10 base fine.
I thought that this would be the end of it, and that I would be able to return to my family. But I was wrong.
A few days later, they came to see me again, but already on a criminal case of mass rioting, and put me under house arrest. I realized that everything was heading towards a real sentence, and I was very worried about my pregnant wife and little daughter. I knew that if (when) I ended up in prison, there would be no one to take care of them. So I made the decision to escape from house arrest and leave the country to be able to at least support my loved ones with money and, if possible, to move them to my home.
Unfortunately, my attempt to escape was unsuccessful. I was detained at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border and sent to the pre-trial detention center to await the beginning of the trial against me and dozens of other residents of Brest.
We were accused of violence, pogroms and damage to the city property. The accusations were groundless and without evidence, and the key witnesses were classified, so that nobody saw them at all. We were treated badly, to say the least. And they took us to the trials like real terrorists: with our hands twisted backwards in handcuffs and face down.
After all the trials, I was given 3 and a half years of imprisonment in a high-security colony. But the biggest blow for me was the separation from my family: my beloved wife, daughter and newborn son. I suffered this separation very hard.
In July 2024 I was released from prison. I was very happy to just breathe, embrace my family and live. But even after my release, I could not relax because of the constant scrutiny: I was put on every possible police record and restricted as “prone to extremism”.
For the sake of our safety and the safety of our children, my wife and I decided to leave Belarus. Thank you to the BYSOL evacuation team that helped us with this. But we need financial help as well, because after 3 and a half years in the colony I feel it is hard to start again.
We need funds to feed my family while I sort out my job, buy seasonal clothes and shoes for everyone, enroll in language courses. I am asking for your help and would appreciate any support.
How much is needed?
€5000
€2000 — food and household expenses for our family for 2 months
€1000 — seasonal clothes for 4 people
€500 — to get the children ready for school and kindergarten
€500 — language courses for me and my wife
€1000 — unforeseen expenses