One of the main defendants in the “Pinsk case” was extracted to Poland after being released from prison and is asking for support to start working and become financially independent.
My name is Vyacheslav Rogashchuk. In August 2020, I was among those who took to the streets in Pinsk after the election. People were standing near the city executive committee building, waiting for the results. There were women, men, and children. When law enforcers began surrounding and beating people, I and several others were the first to run to protect them. Any decent man would have protected women and children in that situation, especially since they had come there to express their disagreement.
On 10 August 2020, I was brutally arrested. They started beating me immediately and continued to do so at the police station. I was one of those designated as the “main” defendants in the criminal case. Then came the trial, an enormous compensation claim, a correctional facility, and almost six years of detention. I spent nearly a year – 237 days – in a punishment cell.
I was released from the correctional facility on 25 February 2026. I was placed under two years of preventive supervision. When I went to register, they told me directly to pack my bags because I would soon be sent back to a high-security prison. They said: “We haven’t forgotten anything, and you’ll be sent further down the line. So get ready.”
I understood that I could not stay in Belarus. New criminal cases had already been opened against me, and my sister and mother were being summoned. After almost six years in prison, I did not want to wait for them to come for me again. In March 2026, BYSOL extracted me to Poland with nothing but a single backpack. I have no family, and in fact I have nothing left. Everything I owned was sold at auction.
Now I am in Warsaw. I have applied for international protection. I have a temporary document valid until December, but I still do not have a full work permit. I am still figuring out where to go and how to get everything sorted out properly. The first few months after release and relocation are the hardest. I need to pay for housing, buy personal belongings, somehow make ends meet, and deal with paperwork. Without a bank account, without stable work, and without understanding how the system works, everything moves very slowly.
I can work with my hands, and I enjoy it. I want to do apartment renovation and finishing work. For that, I need tools: a rotary hammer drill, an angle grinder, a sander, and other basic equipment. If I have the tools, I can take on jobs, work for myself, and gradually get back on my feet. It would allow me to start earning quickly and stop asking anyone for help.
I’m not asking for money simply to cover my living expenses or as a gift for a more comfortable life. The amount I’m asking to raise will not cover all the costs I face, but any support at the start will be like a breath of fresh air for me. I’m sure that if I can get back on my feet now, I’ll be able to manage on my own from then on.
I still believe that we will defeat this evil. Together we stand strong. Žyve Belarus!
Fundraiser goal:
€2500
€1000 – housing costs
€1000 – work tools
€300 – food
€200 – personal belongings, communication, and household expenses