Kirill Kazey is a husband and father of two children. Before his arrest, he worked at a company selling computer equipment and was fully involved in his family’s life. However, in 2021 he was sentenced to 7 years in a high-security penal colony.
His wife recalls that for the children Kirill was a person of celebration: “To play tag, hide-and-seek, organize quests and all kinds of pranks so sincerely and with full dedication — I honestly can’t do that. It turns out that all the children’s memories of their father are one big celebration! We are a sporty family. In summer — bicycles, in winter — alpine skiing. Kirill also loves running. For the last four years he participated in the Minsk Half Marathon at the 21 km distance. And we also cannot live without trips and travel. We planned that year (2021), considering the closed borders, to actively travel around Belarus, to show the children their native history. It’s a pity that the plans were cruelly disrupted…”
On October 27, 2020, a video appeared online showing a BMW driver getting out of his car and hitting a man who had been waving a white-red-white flag. The video quickly spread across social media, and along with it, Telegram channels began publishing the driver’s personal data — his address and phone number.
According to the investigation, in one of the chats several people (including Kirill) decided to “teach” this driver a lesson and puncture his car tires. On the night of October 28, three Minsk residents went to his house. But they did not reach the yard: two were detained by OMON, and the third managed to escape.
The next day, силовики searched Kirill’s car and claimed they found flags, leaflets, fireworks, laser pointers, as well as a grenade and ammunition. This search was shown on state TV and included in the charges.
At trial, Kirill did not admit guilt. He подробно described his detention, the violence by силовики, and the pressure in the district police department. Nevertheless, on March 31, 2021, the court sentenced him to 7 years in a high-security penal colony.
All this time, the family lived without him. The children grew up without their father, and their memories of him remained that same “celebration” his wife spoke about.
In detention, Kirill faced further persecution: he was tried under an additional article and given another two years of “khimiya” — formally this did not extend his sentence, but it became another form of pressure within the system.
In March 2026, after negotiations, the Lukashenko regime released some political prisoners. Among them was Kirill. But his freedom turned out to be conditional: he was not allowed to return home and was deported to Lithuania without documents.
Now Kirill is starting from scratch. He needs to recover, adapt, find work, and once again become the father his children remember. He is asking for your support to return to a normal life.
Fundraising goal
€2900
€1200 – housing for 3 months
€1000 – health recovery
€700 – expenses while Kirill is looking for a job