Soil-Based Arrest

We will not become "acceptable victims".

On 4 January, a Ukrainian woman living in Belarus was arrested by the Main Department of the State Security Police. She is forced to say in front of a camera, which her tormentors post on their Telegram channels the same day, that she "supports Ukrainian neo-Nazis". The Ukrainian woman has been desperately resisting attacks by numerous enemy forces for almost two years. I had to watch this video, because otherwise I could not believe the words of my colleagues. I watched it. I remembered.

On 18 December, Czeslaw Kononowicz was sentenced to five years in prison for making 10 donations to Kalinouski's regiment fighting for Ukraine. The total amount of the donations was 1200 rubles, 340 euros.

On 22 December, Aliaksandr Kulikou, a political prisoner from Mahiliou, who was sentenced to three years in prison for his comments, had another year and a half added to his sentence for his plans to join Kalinouski's regiment and fight for Ukraine's freedom.

On 22 November, Aliaksandr Baranouski, also from Mahiliou, was sentenced to five years in prison for helping Kalinouski's regiment. On 1 December, Aliaksandr Hancharau received the same sentence, and on 17 October, Aliaksandr Raichenka, an IT specialist from Brest, was sentenced to six years in prison for the same offence.

On 17 August, businessman Yury Tashkinau was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in Homel. Yury was a resident of Homel Technopark and developed a mobile application for online search of contractors in various fields. And when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, he began speaking out against the war and publishing reports on humanitarian aid to the Chernihiv region. The result is three years in prison and, of course, an entry on the list of terrorists.

Raman Rafeenka, sentenced for taking part in peaceful marches, was forced to appear in a 'penitent' video wearing a cap with the Ukrainian coat of arms. Yaraslau Sakovich, who lived in Ukraine and returned to Belarus, was tortured into confessing that he had fought in the AFU.

Alyona Dzmitryeva, who lives in Brest, was arrested at the border after a shopping trip to Poland, simply because her passport stated that she was born in Ukraine. This was enough for the border guards to call some people in plain clothes, who took Alyona's phone and found something unreliable on it. She was then charged in the 'round dance case', but the reason for the thorough check was a simple entry in her passport in the 'place of birth' column.

Ekaterina Brukhanova, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested under the same scheme. She had studied in China and worked in Belarus as a Chinese translator, which is almost a cast-iron alibi in Belarus these days. But the Ukrainian passport on her return from the same Polish "procurements" was reason enough to examine her mobile phone under a microscope, where they found a video of Russian military equipment. Two and a half years, a list of extremists - in general, as one would expect. But if it hadn't been for the Ukrainian passport, they might not have checked her phone at the border, or that of Alyona Dzmitryeva, who has the right passport, Belarusian, but her place of birth is "wrong".

Belarusians who still travel across the border by bus say that every time they cross the border, the driver asks: "Are there any Ukrainians on the bus? Then it takes a couple of hours to get to the border and they are questioned”. And some are also arrested on the basis of their right to land. According to Viasna, 33 people were sentenced to prison last year simply for supporting Ukraine (in reality it is probably many more). There are hundreds of administrative detentions for having photos on their mobile phones from long ago holidays in Odesa. And against this background, the attitude towards the Belarusian regime in Ukraine itself is gradually warming up. With each new verdict, there are more and more statements in Ukraine that Lukashenka should be given credit for not allowing Belarus to be dragged into the war. That he is actually a good man who has learnt how to manoeuvre skilfully and not give in to the Kremlin's demands. That the use of Belarus as a springboard for the Russian armed forces has recently diminished. That Lukashenka managed to prevent the invasion of Russian troops from Belarusian territory. A little more, a few more sentences in support of Ukraine - and it seems he will be called a peacemaker again. And the Belarusians who died for the freedom of Ukraine and those who were sentenced for supporting it will be called acceptable losses.

So what should we do now? The same as before - help political prisoners, help Ukraine, and spit on official statements from all sides from a high bell tower. Because it is citizens, not officials, who are the bearers of truth and compassion, who help and stand in solidarity, who are brave and wise. Fighting and ultimately winning.

Iryna Khalip, especially for Charter97.org