Radio host Anton Beliaev was evacuated by BYSOL to Poland and, while awaiting a decision on international protection, asks for support to help him adapt in a foreign country.
Hello, my name is Anton Beliaev. For many years I worked as a radio host in Minsk – perhaps you listened to me on your way to work.
In 2020 I took part in the marches, but I thought I had stayed under the radar. I lived an ordinary life for two years until law enforcers came for me at work.
Everything in their style: they handcuffed me in front of my colleagues and dragged me out of the office, beat me in the car while asking questions. But back then I got off lightly by today’s standards – 15 days of administrative detention.
Even then my friends urged me to leave the country. But I stayed, deciding that I was already “settled” with the law enforcers. At that time I tried to turn my passion for vintage cars into a business project. I opened an auto repair shop, brought in tools and spare parts. That was where they came for me the second time, in May 2023. This time I was arrested under Article 342 of the Criminal Code, and later sentenced to 2 years of home confinement.
“Home confinement” sounds almost sweet, as if you just sit at home and do nothing. In reality, it is detention, even though at home: you cannot go anywhere, losing all social ties; you constantly live in expectation of night inspections (if you don’t open the door, they record a violation) and hear threats that at any moment your confinement may be replaced with a correctional facility.
My work contract was not renewed, my civil partner left the country, and I stayed alone in Minsk. It became unbearably hard without work and without money. Poverty and the fear of being sent to a correctional facility completely broke me, and with the help of BYSOL I was evacuated from the country to Poland.
I fled with minimal money and belongings, and during the period of confinement my health problems accumulated. Now I live in a shelter and have applied for international protection.
While waiting for legalization, I cannot be officially employed, so I look for odd jobs. It was very painful to lose my auto repair shop in Belarus. It would be wonderful to work on restoring vintage cars here as well, but for now I am socially not established in any way. I acutely feel the problems of adaptation and do not even have a basic set of things for the upcoming autumn.
Fundraising goal
€2400
€1600 – rent for a small apartment for at least three months (plus deposit)
€400 – medical examinations and medicines (without legalization I have no access to free healthcare)
€400 – warm clothing, footwear, and necessities