On August 9, 2020, I was among the first protesters on Nyamiha Street. I was grabbed almost immediately: beaten with batons on the street, assaulted again in the police wagon, and taken to the Salihorsk police station, where I was unexpectedly released on the condition that I “not go out again.” But I kept going out and didn’t miss a single protest until late autumn. When the law enforcers crushed everything, I went back to normal life – but I knew they’d come.
One morning in September 2022, six officers burst into my home. They twisted my arms, put me in handcuffs, and conducted a search. One of the attesting witnesses was a neighbor whose son was already serving time for “politics.” Then they took me to the Minsk temporary detention facility.
Ten days of hell. In a punishment cell meant for one person, there were ten of us at first, then eighteen! I still don’t understand how we managed to sleep in turns – standing and sitting. On top of that, there was constant noise, stifling heat, nighttime wake-ups, and baton-wielding “visits.” After that, four months waiting for trial in the Minsk remand center on Valadarskaha Street.
On January 19, 2023, I was sentenced to three years of home confinement under Article 342(1) of the Criminal Code (organizing actions that constitute a severe breach of public order) and was added to the list of “extremists.”
I got a job as a taxi driver, but anyone who has served a stint in an open correctional facility knows – it’s life under a magnifying glass: inspections, “friendly chats,” interrogations, and threats. In September 2023, the investigating officer told me outright: “We’ve recovered the posts you deleted. Your next prison term is just a matter of days.” Two guys from my group were already sent back behind bars. I didn’t wait. That very night, I fled. In the rush, I forgot or lost my driver’s license. I left with the bare minimum – just what fit into a backpack.
I now live in Warsaw. I was lucky to receive refugee status, probably because yet another criminal case was opened against me in Belarus. I work as a bike courier. While I used to get enough orders, now competition is fierce, income has dropped, and I barely cover rent and food. If I had a driver’s license, I could work in taxi or car delivery and earn a decent living.
Meanwhile, dental issues have piled up: four teeth need urgent treatment. Pain. Agony. Waiting for insurance-covered treatment will take months, and paying out of pocket is impossible.
I’m not asking for a golden parachute. I’m asking for a chance to stand on my own feet. I need help with dental treatment, driving school, and two months of rent. Right now, I just want to return to an honest life and be useful. First to myself, then to those around me.
Fundraising Goal
€2000
€800 – driving school and exams
€800 – urgent dental treatment
€400 – two months’ rent