Hi! My name is Christina.
My husband was detained on August 9, 2020. For several days I did not know where he was and what happened to him, I called prisons, and on the 5th day I found him in the hospital in Zhodzina. He had been beaten so badly that he temporarily lost his sight.
Since then we have not been left alone. The police regularly came to our house with inspections, we were summoned for interrogations, and our accounts were blocked. And on March 25, 2024, on the Day of Will, I was detained right on the street. I was humiliated and provoked in the detention center, and I fell for it. I said a few careless words about Lukashenka, because of which I was locked up in a cell for several days, and then a criminal case was opened and I was given 2 years of “home chemistry ”*.
But it didn't end there. We were threatened. We were intimidated. They said they would put us in jail and send the child to an orphanage. That we wouldn't see him go to school because we'd be behind bars.
We realized that these threats were not made out of thin air, and they were likely to become reality. We had to do something. And what could we do? There was only one way out: leave.
Now we are in Vilnius. We are glad that we managed to leave, but it is difficult for us. Because none of us was ready for emigration, that we would have to leave everything and build our future from scratch. I often have panic attacks because of the fear of the future, and the feeling of anxiety does not leave me at all. If you have been in the same situation, you know what I mean.
I am asking for your help.
We need basic necessities: shelter, food and things for the baby. We will be eternally grateful if you respond and help us. And if not, please share my story, it is also a great support.
Thank you!
“Home Chemistry” is a type of punishment where the convict remains free, but with restrictions. The convict has a schedule for both work and personal activities, including going to the store or throwing out the trash. The police can come every day and at any time to check on them.
How much is needed?
€4000
€2400 — accommodation for three months and a deposit. This is the time we need to make documents, find a job and accept the new reality.
€1600 — we will save these funds, but we need them to buy food and pay for daily expenses until my husband and I find a job.