Nikita Zolotarev was arrested at the age of 16, after which he ended up in intensive care and then in a remand centre. He spent almost six years behind bars in a juvenile correctional facility and prison, where he was beaten, tortured, and denied the necessary medication for epilepsy. In March 2026, Nikita was forcibly deported from the country to Lithuania.
A Belarusian woman in Poland has lost her job and is facing serious mental health problems. She is asking for support while she undergoes treatment and searches for a new job.
My name is Yury Averkov. I am 54 years old. I am a former political prisoner, and I now live in Warsaw. I never prepared for exile or imagined that I would have to start my life over in another country. I was simply forced out of Belarus without my belongings or any money. With my long list of health conditions, I have been unable to find work and am now asking for support.
Anna is 50 years old. She was an associate professor, headed a university department, and worked on projects aimed at making Belarusian cities better. But in 2023, she was arrested when she returned home to visit her mother.
Tatiana is 54 years old. Before her arrest, she had a stable life: she worked as a chief accountant, owned her own apartment, and had just finished paying off her mortgage. But in March 2023, she was sentenced to four and a half years in a penal colony under nine politically motivated criminal charges.
A former political prisoner who was forcibly taken out of Belarus needs help with vital dental prosthetics so that she can eat.
Elena Fomina lives in Poland with her son. Although he is now an adult, he has had a disability since childhood and requires constant care. Elena has lost her stable job, takes on occasional work, and looks after her son full-time. She needs support to continue his treatment, keep their home, and overcome their financial crisis.
Because of political persecution and subsequent deportation from Belarus without documents, Maksim* was separated from his family for many long months. He needs help bringing his family to Lithuania and reuniting with them.
Elena Meshcheryakova nearly died from COVID, survived repression by law enforcers, and was forced to leave the country. When Russia attacked Ukraine, she became a volunteer, but now she needs help herself.