Good afternoon!
I am a journalist of the Belsat TV channel. Unfortunately, I can't give my name, because there are people close to me left in Belarus, who are now under criminal prosecution.
Until 2022 I made the program “Mayu Prava”, and since 2022 — “Vayary” — about Belarusan volunteers who defend Ukraine. All this time I worked from Belarus — I communicated with volunteers, made a shooting plan, questions, wrote an editing script. In addition to journalistic work, I sent “supporting” parcels to pre-trial detention centers: food, thermal underwear, etc. for the repressed, made money transfers.
When arrests began for sending parcels and money, I began to support the relatives of political prisoners I knew: I met someone in person and sent a parcel to someone. These were small “pleasantries” just to support people.
I didn't plan to leave Belarus, I tried to become invisible: I deleted my accounts from social networks, removed everything from my apartment that could compromise me in any way. Even my family did not know about my activities and work.
However… In May, my home was searched, and I was taken for questioning to the main department of the Investigative Committee. Nothing was found at home — my work computer is always out of the house, my phone was reset to factory settings and I switched on a backup account. The interrogation lasted 4 hours. I was able to convince the investigator that I was not involved in anything, and I was released. Once again, I was lucky.
In August 2024, I received a call from an investigator from the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee, and I was summoned for questioning again. The fact is that my Belarusian currency card received transfers from foreign organizations. It's true, until 2021, I received my salary on the Belarusian card, at that time it was/seemed not dangerous. After that I opened a European account. This time I realized that I would not be able to avoid trouble.
I contacted BYSOL and I and my two children were urgently evacuated from Belarus. We ran away directly from the dacha, with one backpack. Now we have to start life from scratch. My youngest son is 3 years old, he is a special child. Every six months he needs to have his heart checked, and he also needs classes with a defectologist. In Belarus he had classes 2 times a week. Now we are losing everything that the kid has gained with the specialist.
The unplanned move is very hard and I do not have enough money to cover at least the obligatory things. In Belarus I had enough money not only for my family, but also to help others, and here I am asking for help, but the most important thing is that I am free and we are safe. Your help will help us to adapt to the new reality as soon as possible.
Thank you.
How much is needed?
€3000
€1500 — 3 months rent
€1000 — 25 lessons for my son with a speech pathologist.
€500 — basic necessities for the first time