My political activities started in 1994, when I organized the “Free Trade Union of Belarus” at my company. Later I was fired for defending the interests of the members of our trade union.
In 1996 I organized an independent newspaper “Shag” in Baranovichi. Its circulation reached 11 thousand copies. When in 2010 the authorities closed “Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta”, I offered its editorial board our columns for distribution of the materials on presidential election in Belarus. After that, the printing house, where our newspaper was published, broke the printing contract. All printing houses we went to refused to print our newspaper.
Left without funds, I set up a small business. In 2014, however, I fell seriously ill. A malignant tumor: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I received the second group of disability.
In 2020 I was an observer for the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and participated in protests in Minsk.
At the end of March 2023, GUBOPIK and its “Alpha” special unit broke into my apartment. I was sent to the TDF on Okrestina and placed in a punishment cell. There was only one person in the punishment cell, but there were eight of us. We had to sleep on the concrete floor. At 2 and 4 a.m. they brought us up and forced us to call our names.
My spouse fought for me. She succeeded in getting me released on bail, which was $3,700.
Soon I was to have a trial. My lawyer said I was facing 3 years in a penal colony.
I went to BYSOL. Thanks to their well-coordinated actions, I was safe. However, the money left on bail by the court decision was turned over to the state.
How much is needed?
4120€
- I need to pay off a debt of €2,000 that my spouse took as collateral.
— I also need money for food and medicine for the first time in the new country.