A man from Minsk joined the protests, was wounded by a stun grenade, spent five years in a correctional facility, immigrated to Poland, and now urgently needs support.
Andrei Papou worked as a tinsmith and, like many Belarusians, took part in the peaceful protest on 9 August 2020.
“Queues at polling stations, white-red-white ribbons on backpacks, people unafraid to speak out – all of this gave hope for change,” recalls the man from Minsk. “But instead of our choice, we got terror.”
That night, Andrei was wounded in the leg and face by fragments from a stun grenade. Doctors provided first aid, but by morning he was seized by law enforcers, beaten, and taken to the Zhodzina temporary detention centre.
“They had stitched my leg, but then the law enforcers struck right on the wound – it got inflamed,” recalls the Belarusian. “We were held for 72 hours without charges and without contact with our families. In the end, they just let us go because the courts weren’t working during the first three days.”
On 1 September 2020, Andrei was detained again by officers of the anti-extremism unit (GUBOPiK). A criminal case was opened against him under Article 293, part 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (participation in mass riots). On 16 February 2021, the Zavodski District Court of Minsk sentenced him to five years in a high-security correctional facility.
“I fully experienced what political discrimination means: constant handcuffs during transfers, cells with covered windows and poor ventilation, one limited shower per week,” Andrei says.
In Mahilioŭ correctional facility No. 15, the prison administration reinforced the segregation of “politicals”: they were forbidden to communicate or exchange items with other prisoners, access to the library was restricted, correspondence and calls were censored. Even having a self-study language book could lead to punishment in a punishment cell. Although Andrei worked in a sewing workshop, wages were almost non-existent – about one dollar a month.
On 30 April 2025, after fully serving his prison term, Andrei was released and found work as a clothing repair master. However, he was placed under preventive supervision for two years: “preventive lectures,” night checks, and travel restrictions. Later, a new case was opened for violating supervision rules.
“In prison, I dreamed that I’d get out and stay in Belarus – I felt euphoric just from being free, from not seeing barbed wire anymore. But that lasted a month: living in constant fear became impossible,” he says. “A new sentence was looming on the horizon, so I decided to leave.”
On 13 September 2025, Andrei left Belarus and two days later arrived in Warsaw. He applied for international protection. While his case is under review, he cannot work officially. He is renting a room and plans to find employment as soon as possible, but right now he urgently needs help: his small savings have run out, and he needs to cover rent, bills, food, and basic essentials.
“I know my story is a very typical one, but right now I need help to recover and build a life without fear,” Andrei stresses. “I don’t have big requests – just a roof over my head, food, and clothes while my documents are being processed.”
Fundraising goal
€1950
€950 – housing rent
€450 – food
€550 – necessities, communication, and transport