Former political prisoner and cameraman Denis Sokolovsky has passed away at the age of 47. Friends found his body, and the circumstances of his death are still being clarified. His family now needs support to resolve legal matters, transport his body back to Belarus, and organize the farewell and funeral.
“My dad was an incredible person. He loved life and he loved people. He had a huge open heart. He was emotional, creative, and did so much for the world — for journalism and for art. He was the best father. He loved me endlessly, just as I loved him. Now I feel immense pain and miss him terribly. I cannot believe I will never hug him again, never see him, never talk to him. This is a tremendous tragedy for our entire family and the hardest trial of our forced exile. We truly need support and help,” says Denis’s daughter, journalist Vasilina Sokolovskaya.
Denis was one of the finest cameramen not only in Belarus, but in the region. For more than 10 years he worked at the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company, participating in major projects. He also collaborated extensively with international broadcasters such as ARD, ZDF, DW, Arte, MDR, TV France, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, NRK, and ABC (Australia).
In 2007, he won third place in the “Best TV Cameraman of Belarus” category, and in 2017 he received the “Televyarshyna” award as Best Cameraman. He also received numerous awards from television networks recognizing him as Cameraman of the Year.
Among Denis’s notable films that received awards at international festivals are “I, Andrei Ivanovich,” “Awakening,” “Sister Joanna,” and “Demigod.”
In August 2020, Denis joined the strike at the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company and actively participated in it. After being dismissed, he worked with former colleagues to create an independent media platform — the so-called “alternative television.” On December 22, he was detained together with Ksenia Lutskina in the so-called “Press Club” case. Initially, he was charged with aiding tax evasion. Denis spent eight months in Detention Center No. 1.
After members of the “Press Club” were pardoned, on August 23, 2021, his preventive measure was changed to a travel restriction, but he remained a suspect in a case involving an alleged conspiracy to seize power unconstitutionally. Until the end of May 2022, he remained under supervision as a suspect under Article 357, Part 1. With great difficulty, he eventually managed to leave Belarus.
Denis was able to work in any conditions and with any equipment. He was a certified diver specializing in underwater filming and had experience shooting from airplanes and helicopters. Beyond journalism, he was also a talented visual artist and a trained sculptor. Since 2022, while living in forced exile in Berlin, he had been working in construction.
After his release and throughout his exile, Denis Sokolovsky never asked for financial assistance. But today, his family truly needs support to say goodbye to him with dignity.
Fundraising Goal
€4600
€800 – legal paperwork and related services
€2800 – repatriation of the body from Germany to Belarus
€1000 – funeral and memorial arrangements