After two years in a penal colony, Tatyana left for Poland. But emigration turned into another difficult chapter in her life: for more than a year she lived in limbo, with constant anxiety and growing legal expenses. Tatyana needs support to pay for the services of her lawyer and legal advisors.
In 2022, Tatyana was sentenced to two years in a penal colony under three political charges: for “insulting Lukashenko,” “insulting a government official,” and “insulting a judge.” She fully served her sentence in Penal Colony No. 4 in Gomel.
“I came out of prison after two years as a different person. Both my physical health and my mental state were seriously damaged,” Tatyana says.
After her release, she realized it was unsafe to remain in Belarus and left for Poland in January 2025. There, she had to begin a difficult and prolonged legalization procedure under the Dublin Regulation. Because of this, Tatyana still cannot officially get a job and survives on occasional informal work.
“Three months after applying, I received the first refusal. We filed an appeal. Then there was another refusal. Only on April 28 did the court finally rule in my favor,” she says.
Even after that, the situation is not resolved immediately. The final processing of documents takes months. Until then, Tatyana still has no real stability, while debts for legal assistance already provided continue to hang over her.
“Until I actually have the court decision and documents in my hands, the anxiety won’t go away,” she admits.
Tatyana says that two years in the colony and the uncertainty of exile afterward have severely affected her psychological and emotional condition. While still imprisoned, she had been prescribed antidepressants, and after leaving Belarus she had to continue treatment.
“The longer the procedure dragged on, the worse things became. My anxiety, sleep problems, and panic attacks intensified. I am under постоянное наблюдение у психиатра, and my medications have had to be strengthened,” Tatyana says.
Right now, the most important thing for the former political prisoner is to repay the debt for the work of the lawyer and legal advisors who handled her case in Poland. This would allow her to move on to a normal life: wait for her documents, gain the right to official employment, and begin recovering from everything she has endured.
“I really just want to live peacefully, work, and stop existing in endless fear.”
Fundraising goal
€1100
Payment for legal advisors and lawyer services