Alex is organizing this fundraiser for Aliaksei Sanchuk, a friend and former political prisoner. Before his arrest, Aliaksei assembled furniture and ran a small business in Minsk. During the Belarus protests, he built mobile platforms for the street drummers who walked with the columns. On 4 November 2020, riot police raided a rehearsal space where fourteen people were gathered, and Aliaksei was later sentenced to six years in a Belarusian prison colony for peaceful protest. He served the full term, with no pardon and no early release, including nine months in punishment cells. When he was released, he weighed around 60 kilos and was suffering from burns across his back, partial hearing loss, and vascular damage caused by years in freezing cells.

Release did not bring safety. After prison, Aliaksei was placed under police supervision, and officers came to the family’s home. He, his wife, and their fourteen-year-old daughter left with backpacks and fled to Georgia, where they are now waiting for Polish visas with no resources left. For six years, Aliaksei’s wife kept the family going alone, paying his lawyer and sending parcels to the colony while raising their daughter. This fundraiser will help cover Aliaksei’s medical treatment, the family’s move from Georgia to Poland, and their first six months in Poland, when people applying for international protection are legally barred from working. Alex is organizing this on Aliaksei’s behalf because Georgia is not supported by GoFundMe, so Aliaksei cannot receive funds directly. Donations will be transferred to Aliaksei, with updates posted after each transfer. Please help if you can. Every donation will make a direct difference for Aliaksei and his family as they try to rebuild their lives in safety. Aliaksei’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fenixlex26/ · Interview and case file at Viasna: https://prisoners.spring96.org/en/person/aljaksei-sanczuk