Matvey (name has been changed) worked at a state enterprise. On election day, August 9, at the polling station, he warned the members of the commission about criminal liability for falsification, made several comments on the polling station and wrote an application for nomination as an observer.


But Matvey was not even allowed to vote - near the booth, police officers rudely detained him, took him first to the ROVD, and then to the IVS. The judge gave him 15 days of arrest, despite the fact that Matvey has two small children at home. For a long time, his relatives did not know anything about where he was and why he was detained.


When he was released, Matvey took part in rallies, marches, and stood in chains of solidarity. I went to a pro-government march with photographs of beaten people. Collected signatures for collective demands in the executive committee and the prosecutor's office.


Matvey's employers did not miss such active position, and in October he received a notice of non-renewal of the contract. In December, he, still working, is cynically included in the list of parasites and summoned to the employment commission. And in February they are fired with the words: "Well, you understand everything by yourself ."


We receive dozens of applications from people like Matvey. The only thing we understand is that they have a brave heart, while their employers have the opposite. Therefore, we really want to help the dismissed and their families not only with words, but also with money for the most necessary things.

The story of a student who was sentenced to 114 days

Previously, Yan Solonovich studied at BSUIR and worked at the scientific and technical center of the KGB. On November 1, during the Sunday action, he was detained.

"When protest actions began in the country, I also began to go out. I understood that this is important not only for me, but also for the country, because the government must be replaced. And even after the changes it will be hard for us right away, but this is a "wound" that will quickly heal, and we will move on" - said Yang.

Since August, he went out on almost all marches. As a result, the guy was tried eight times - for each. He was supposed to spend 114 days behind bars, but by the evening of the 85th day, Yan was unexpectedly released. At home he found out: after the winter session he was expelled - and the next day he flew away from Belarus. He's safe now, he says.

"Where exactly I live now, I cannot say, but I am safe. I go shopping, cook, get used to independent life, and learn language. In the near future I plan to enter one of the European universities. I want to finish my studies, and then - according to the circumstances

Nobody told him that Yan was released ahead of schedule:

"In the evening, the door opened in the cell:" Solonovich, on the way out ". We went down to the first floor, headed to the inspection room. The man who was sitting at the gate said: "If you shout, you will come back very quickly." And that's all - I was on the street. For the first thirty seconds, I just looked around, trying to understand what was happening and who I could turn to. There was a company nearby. I asked them for a phone. In the end, they called me Uber. To my phrase: "I will return the money as soon as I get to my family," they said: "Everything has been paid. Thank you for being you".

From the CIP, Yang conveyed news to his parents through the released inmates, often asking for books: "The most popular book was Orwell's 1984. It was somehow given to me by volunteers, for which I thank them. By the way, the book is in Belarusian, its circulation is about a thousand copies. The guys and I read it very carefully. "

At the end of the interview with TUT.BY, Yang asked to express gratitude to the BYSOL solidarity fund and the people who supported him and his family in difficult times.

"Although I personally don't know many of you, I am very pleased to know that there are caring people in the world who are ready to help, no matter what," says Yang.

We are glad that Yang is safe now, and we really want to help every student who is in a difficult situation.

Victoria signed with Maxim Pavlyushchik when he was already in the colony. The guy was detained on September 9 and sentenced to 2 years for writing "Let's not forget" near the Pushkinskaya metro station. Now the girl is caring for Maxim's sick mother and is about to wait for the birth of her daughter.


"We were planning a wedding in November. But he was imprisoned and on February 3 we signed with him in the pre-trial detention center.


Caring people help me a lot, they bring things for the child. But yes, since September I somehow try to cope on my own. The first month was especially difficult, no one really helped, and then people began to learn about Maxim and support us.


Maxim is sorely lacking. His dad died in February from kavid. And his mother, a disabled person of the 2nd group, was left alone, I am looking after her now. And now it all fell on our shoulders and the loss of a loved one is hard.


But we support Maxim, and other people also support him, we do everything to make him more comfortable there. And the transfers to him cost us a big penny. We cannot limit it and must help as much as we can. Tough financial situation, but we somehow make ends meet. Now there is everything necessary for the birth of a child, but I don't know how it will go on.


I heard a lot about the BYSOL fund, but at first I did not apply. Then I accidentally stumbled across Instagram, wrote and gave me a link to their group to help families of political prisoners. We signed off, I provided the documents and the fund helped us.


Morally it's very hard. But now it is hard for everyone, especially for families whose children have been killed and no one is doing it. They are more interested in jailing journalists who stream, but they don't jail real killers. I do not know when these changes will come, but I already want them. I want our children to be born in a free country. So that they don't feel what we are feeling now. "


The BYSOL Foundation today helped over 70 families of people imprisoned on politically motivated charges. As soon as the required amount of 500 euros is accumulated in our collection, we immediately send the money to the relatives of prisoners of conscience.


Help these people get support as soon as possible.