It became known how the reception of released political prisoners was organized simultaneously in three countries
Volha Zazulinskaya, representative of the United Transitional Cabinet for Social Policy, spoke about how Belarusian organizations and volunteers responded to the non-standard challenges they faced after the unexpected transfer of 123 released political prisoners to Ukraine instead of Lithuania, which is traditional for such cases.
According to Volha Zazulinskaya, the registration center had been prepared in advance, and the team had been waiting for the arrival of people for a long time. It was planned that they would arrive in Lithuania on Saturday, but the situation unexpectedly changed: the people ended up in Ukraine. Despite this, it was possible to quickly mobilize.
Ukrainian organizations joined the aid efforts, including the volunteer organization «Sustrecha» (Meeting), which had the opportunity to directly contact Belarusian political prisoners in Ukraine. Sviatlana Shatsilina, representative of the Belarusian democratic forces in Ukraine, went to the people and maintained communication with them on the spot.
Thanks to the coordination headquarters in Vilnius and Warsaw, organizations very quickly reoriented their work to Ukraine. Urgent purchases of all necessary items began: mobile phones, hygiene products, medicines, and personal belongings that people needed.
When it became clear that the people were heading further into Europe, their delivery to registration centers in Warsaw and Vilnius was organized.
For the first time, people were offered to independently choose a country — Poland or Lithuania. Each ex-political prisoner was interviewed separately. Many of them were disoriented after what they had experienced: people changed their initial decisions, hesitated. As a result, 89 people remained in Poland, and 20 went to Lithuania.
A large number of organizations and volunteers worked in the registration centers. In Warsaw, the coordination of the headquarters was taken over by Dissidentby and the Belarusian Solidarity Center. The people were met by Pavel Latushka, deputy head of the United Transitional Cabinet, and Artsiom Brukhan, speaker of the Coordination Council. Dozens of volunteers worked on site, as well as representatives of the Human Rights Center «Viasna», the «Volnaya» (Free) initiative, PEN Center, Belarusian Association of Journalists, «BAP da voli» (Association of Former Political Prisoners), and the «Partyzanki» (Partisans) initiative. Some organizations, including Libereco, worked remotely. Representatives of Humanosh were also present at the headquarters.
All necessary items were purchased in advance. Within approximately two hours, interviews were conducted, after which all people were urgently accommodated in hotels. After the people are able to rest, the next stage of work will begin: legalization, legal consultations, and provision of medical care, including urgent care.
Special attention will be paid to family reunification — for those whose relatives remain in Belarus. For many, this is especially important, as some have spent more than five years in prisons and colonies without the possibility of normal contact with loved ones.
All former political prisoners are in touch, and each is assigned a personal mentor. This is a person who will accompany them step by step: from the moment of registration to full legalization, and also help them understand how to build their lives further in new conditions.
In Lithuania, a headquarters was also prepared in advance. Employees of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office took part in its work, and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya herself was personally there with volunteers. Representatives of the United Transitional Cabinet, Human Rights Center «Viasna», the «Volnaya» (Free) initiative, and the «Kraina dlya Zhyznya» (Country for Life) foundation were also present. Belarusian doctors, the name of whose organization cannot yet be disclosed, provided medical assistance on site. The Lithuanian Red Cross also joined, as well as diplomats from various countries who supported the people at the headquarters.
The people who were released are very tired, so they were given the opportunity to rest. Their main desire is to be in silence and alone with themselves. This wish was taken into account: people live separately, not in shelters.
Volha Zazulinskaya expressed special gratitude to the Freedom House organization, which very quickly joined the aid efforts: its employees organized accommodation and will start helping with legalization issues from the next day.
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