Good day, my name is Stanislav. Since 2020, I could not stay away from what was happening in Belarus and resisted the regime as best I could. I was very careful and followed the rules of digital security. But once, while leaving a comment, I didn't turn on my VPN, and I was detained the same day.
On September 17, 2021, they came straight to work to pick me up, but only questioned me. However, on the way home I was detained again and placed in the IVS until the court. The court gave me 10 days under Article 19.11 (Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Belarus — Distribution, production, storage, transportation of information products containing calls to extremist activity) for distribution of extremist information and calls to strike. Having served this sentence, I went to work for some time calmly. But one day the director came to me and asked me to resign by agreement of the parties, as the KGB was calling and demanding to fire me by article.
On October 19, 2021 I was summoned to the police station, interrogated and a criminal case under Article 368 (Article 368 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus — insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus) was initiated. On October 21, 2021 I left for Russia and hid there for almost a year and a half. I traveled at random, at first I lived wherever I could, worked wherever I could. After some time I found out that I was on the federal wanted list in the Russian Federation, and on November 14, 2022 I was detained in Moscow in a hotel. However, since they do not have such an article in their legislation under which I was prosecuted, the police released me.
I wrote to the BYSOL hotline, where they advised me how to apply for a humanitarian visa to Poland. But I had to return to Belarus, because I could not get to Poland from Russia. I had planned to see my family and get to Poland another way, but I didn't have time.
On January 3, 2023 I was still detained, and in March I was awarded 1 year of imprisonment. I left the colony on November 10, 2023, but my persecution did not end there. They constantly came at night to check on me (and according to my relatives they still do), they took away my phone several times: they were obviously looking for an excuse to put me in jail again.
I did not wait for a new arrest and left for Georgia. At that time, a new criminal case was brought against me in Belarus for receiving monetary support and food aid as a political prisoner. So I flew from Georgia to Poland and asked for international protection.
I expected to find a job and a place to live right away and get back on my feet as soon as possible. But in reality no one wants to hire me without documents (while I am waiting for international protection).
I will be very grateful to you, dear compatriots, for any help! I need a little — only money for housing and food for the first time, until I get the documents. I am very much counting on this collection and support of not indifferent people!
How much is needed?
€1500
€1100 — for rent for three months
€400 for food and living expenses