Good day! My name is Maxim. Many years ago I worked as a journalist, and before the August events I was an individual entrepreneur in Gomel.
On August 9, 2020, I participated in the Gomel protests, I was put in a temporary detention facility and a pre-trial detention center, and until I left for Lithuania, I received threats from law enforcement agencies, including the KGB. After the events, I gave a commentary to a volunteer from the Committee against Torture and also told my story to foreign publications.
I was punched in the stomach after being detained, but there were no further severe beatings. According to my cellmates, if they had detained me a day or two later, I would not have avoided it.
I actively spoke out against the arbitrariness of the Belarusian regime in Instagram, I went to protests in Homel to the last, even after threats. Until March 2022, I was subjected to regular checks by law enforcers (saliva and fingerprinting, calls about open criminal cases in search of witnesses and suspects). I was also called as a witness in April 2021 in the case of human rights defenders of the organization “Viasna”.
When the war in Ukraine started, I also spoke out about it on my Instagram. I support Belarusan solidarity, I donated to funds. Among other things, I helped Ukrainian levies.
On March 1, 2022, in the IT company where I worked, the manager informed me that it was necessary to evacuate urgently because of the possible closure of the borders of Belarus. I had six hours to pack the necessary things. I thought at the time that this was a chance. Plus, the moral pressure that they could come for me at any moment left no doubt.
On March 2, I was already in Vilnius, as there was an office here, and they promised to help me with adaptation. In December 2022 I received a Blue Card working residence permit. In August 2023 my project ended and I was laid off. I tried to find a job as a specialist in automated marketing. Under Blue Card conditions, you can't open a sole proprietorship and I could only apply for a certain salary and a position with high qualifications. There were interviews, but most of them were from Poland or Lithuania with the option to work remotely through a sole proprietorship. I was looking for a job for 5 months and I was living on savings the whole time.
On January 24, I applied for a humanitarian residence permit through Freedom House. I should be issued new documents sometime at the end of April this year, but the problem is that I have run out of money. The landlord understands the situation but is not willing to wait any longer, I already owe him two months' rent.
This is the first time I am asking for this kind of help and it is not easy for me at all. I realize that I miscalculated and did not fully realize that I could be in this position. I need to get back on my feet somehow, then I can work and help again like before.
How much is needed?
€2500
The amount consists of the cost of renting the apartment and utilities (about €500 per month), and to support the minimum subsistence for 3 months. I live in a small studio apartment and already owe the landlord for 2 months, including February. The money collected should be enough until May, when I can find a job with the documents already in place.