«I will still fight for Ukraine». The story of an 18-year-old relative of Tsikhanouskaya who was detained for attempting to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Belsat spoke with Aliaksei about his detention, torture, colonies, family ties with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and whether his plans have changed.

— I am from Brest region, Luninets district, Sinkevichi village. I studied in a regular school. I was fond of airsoft. When Russia's war against Ukraine began, I was in the ninth grade.

— Do you remember the beginning of the war?

— Yes. At four in the morning, like most Ukrainians, I woke up to the sounds of Russian aviation. I lived near a military airfield — aviation took off from there, Il-76 transport planes arrived. I immediately decided that I couldn't stay on the sidelines when all this was happening. I was ashamed that missiles were flying from the Belarusian side and killing peaceful Ukrainians.

— And you decided to go to war?

— Yes. I waited until I turned 18. Before that, I negotiated with the Ukrainian side; they told me they were ready to take me into the Third Assault Brigade, but for that, I had to come to Ukraine. On March 30, I turned 18, and on March 31, I was already ready to fly to Georgia. From there, I would get to Ukraine and go to the front. But I was detained.

— Did your family know about your plans?

— No. I told them I was going to Poland for work.

Павялічыць

«Made several cuts in one place, inserted the blade there and twisted it»

— How were you detained?

— When I was going through passport control, a border guard approached me and asked me to come with him — saying, «Let's look in another camera, this one isn't reading you well.» But they didn't take me to another camera; they led me into an office — and I realized: that's it, I'm going to be detained now. They immediately put me in handcuffs, put a bag over my head, and dragged me into a van. I traveled to the KGB lying on the floor, one officer's foot on my head, the other's on my legs.

— How did they track you down?

— To put it in the regime's language, I was in «extremist chats» — «Belarusians in Warsaw,» «Belarusians in Kyiv.» At the very beginning of the war, I wrote that I wanted to go fight. Apparently, after that, they put me on a list, and after my detention, they confirmed my intentions.

Павялічыць

— What happened next?

— The first interrogation was on the same day, until four in the morning. They told me they would hand me over to Russia, where «Rusich» would cut off my head and send a video of this execution to my relatives.

Then they removed the handcuffs from my hands that were behind my back, and re-cuffed my hands in front. One of them held the handcuffs by the chain, the other took out a blade and started cutting my arm. He made several cuts in one place, inserted the blade there, and twisted it.

— Why were you tortured?

— They wanted to know the addresses and contacts of my acquaintances fighting on the side of the AFU, in which brigades, where they underwent training. But I had already understood earlier that I might be detained, and I deliberately kept myself in informational isolation. So, they couldn't get anything out of me.

— When did your family find out about your detention?

— After 12 days. Mom, Dad, brother — everyone was in shock.

— When did the trial begin?

— After five months. I was tried in the Minsk city court. They gave me two years.

For «Glory to the Heroes» — SHIZO (punishment cell)

— Were you in the KGB pre-trial detention center the whole time?

— First the KGB pre-trial detention center, then pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Kaliadzichy. After the trial, I was sent to penal colony No. 17 in Shklov.

— How did the administration treat you?

— I spent only two months in the colony. Of those, one month was in SHIZO.

The head of the colony called me, we talked, and suddenly he fell silent for about ten seconds and said: «Glory to Ukraine.» I replied: «Glory to the Heroes.» After that, I immediately received 15 days in SHIZO. Then — for minor things: there's a pencil in the nightstand, not a pen — forbidden. Something is wrong with the inventory of things. And again SHIZO.

One must understand that in the colony, there is a completely different attitude towards «political» prisoners. For example, in our squad, there was a man who transported his disassembled wife in the trunk and scattered parts of her body in different corners of Minsk. He could use a hair clipper, he could take the remote and switch the TV. A person who was imprisoned for a comment on social media could not do this.

Political prisoners, or «yellow-badge» prisoners, could not visit the gym, church, or library. All that was allowed was going to the club for lectures, to the dining room, and to the industrial zone.

— And how were your relations with other prisoners?

— Good. We supported each other.

«I thought it was a setup»

— How did you find out you were being released?

— I was working on landscaping the territory — loading sand into bags. They called me into the room where prisoners' belongings are kept, handed me an inventory, and told me to pack. I thought it was a «setup» — probably a new criminal case had been opened against me, or I was being transferred to another place of detention. But when I saw that other political prisoners were being brought out, then the thought flashed that perhaps this was a release.

Our group was taken to quarantine, and the colony staff became suspiciously polite: «Don't rush, carefully, be careful.» They gave us several packs of cigarettes a few times — that was somewhat generous of them, and I became convinced that we were indeed being released.

But the funniest thing is that they didn't give me my belongings. So, I went out into freedom in a tracksuit, sneakers, and a jacket.

Павялічыць

— How did the process of your removal from Belarus go?

— They loaded us onto one bus. Handcuffs, a cap pulled over our faces, handcuffed hands chained to a leg, so we traveled for five hours in a «bent over» position. Then in some clear field, we were transferred to another bus, the handcuffs were removed, but our hands were taped with scotch tape.

— Was there an understanding of where you were being taken?

— We assumed it was to Lithuania. But when we approached the checkpoint, it seemed too deserted to me. Then the broken road began. And then I saw signs that the territory was mined, and I realized: that's it, I'm home.

— When did you feel free?

— Upon crossing the border.

«My girlfriend is my co-conspirator»

— You said your release was a gift for your girlfriend.

— Yes, Diana's birthday is December 14th. When we arrived in Chernihiv, it was the night of the 13th to the 14th, I called her. She immediately started crying. Cried and laughed at the same time.

Павялічыць

— Is she in Belarus?

— No, she's Ukrainian, lives in Kyiv. And she is named as my co-conspirator in my criminal case. For my birthday, she bought me a bulletproof vest and a tactical vest. So, she was involved with me in the same case.

Now I am waiting for her in Vilnius.

All this time, she was a huge support for me. Without her, it would have been much harder to get through these nine months. She waited, believed, and did not turn away from me, no matter what.

«I want to serve»

— You wanted to fight in Ukraine and you ended up there. Why didn't you stay?

— They told me that if I wanted to stay, I first needed to go to Europe, legalize, and then I could return.

— And why did you choose Lithuania?

— It's easier to legalize here than in Poland.

— And your plans haven't changed?

— No. Now I am working on my legalization, I will get all the necessary documents — and I will go to Ukraine, and I will fight for it. I will go to serve, I want to advance in the AFU career ladder. I understand that it will not be easy for a Belarusian in the Ukrainian army, but I will make every effort.

— Haven't you thought about getting a higher education, for example?

— If it's a higher education in the military field.

— Children should not fight.

— War is a matter for the young [quoting Tsoi].

«Very distant family ties»

— At the press conference of former political prisoners, it turned out that you are a distant relative of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya…

— On my father's side, through my grandfather, then through my other grandfather. Very distant family ties, to be honest, it's even hard to explain.

— Did you know her personally?

— No. I found out we were distant relatives after I arrived in Vilnius. I even wanted to approach her at the meeting, talk about relatives, but I was shy.

— What help are you receiving here?

— They rented us accommodation in a co-living space. Four people from our group live there. They help us with everything: money, groceries, clothes, any medical assistance, they solve all our issues. You just have to say something — and within a few hours, the problem is solved. Therefore, we are very grateful to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office and volunteers.

— What was the first thing you did in Vilnius?

— We bought and ate pizza. We walked a lot around the city. We are recovering, trying to process everything somehow. I immediately found the guys I had communicated with before my detention. Everyone is incredibly happy about my release. Everyone wants to meet in Kyiv as soon as possible.

— What do you feel now?

— Besides the feeling of freedom? There is a lot of anger in me. Towards everyone involved in the repressions. For example, in the colony, they think they can break or re-educate political prisoners, but that's not true — in fact, it only breeds hatred, even greater anger, and a desire for justice to triumph.

— Do you believe that justice will prevail?

— Absolutely.

• 9
• 1
• 0
• 2
• 0
• 1
• 0
• 1