Help Belarusians find safety from terror.

The first months of 2026 have been intense. In January alone, BYSOL processed 66 applications from political prisoners and released detainees — more than in any single month since we launched this program. The reason: in late December 2025, over 120 people were released from Belarusian prisons and forcibly expelled from the country. They arrived in Poland and Lithuania with nothing — no savings, often no documents, wearing the same clothes they were arrested in years earlier. BYSOL completed payouts from that emergency campaign in early 2026: more than €250,000 reached 120 people.

Then, on March 19, another group of 250 people was released. Again, BYSOL launched an emergency fundraiser — and again, donors responded fast. We raised nearly €104,000 in 15 days. Every person who applied received €1,000 as a first payment, with additional funds distributed as more applications came in.

Between January and May 2026, we processed 192 applications from political prisoners and former detainees, distributing approximately €247,000 in one-time support. People use these funds for housing deposits, medical care, language courses, or simply getting through the first weeks in a new country. We don't tell them what to spend it on — they know their needs better than we do.

Our evacuation team handled 18 extractions over the five months, including cases requiring complex, multi-stage operations across borders. The free hotline answered 731 calls — people in Belarus and in diaspora communities asking for guidance, legal information, or just trying to understand what their options are. Behind every number is someone in a genuinely difficult situation.

The need is not decreasing. Political prisoners continue to be released — and continue to need support from day one of their freedom.

In 2025, the need for support for victims of political terror and repression in Belarus remained high. After their release, political prisoners continue to face pressure in Belarus or seek safety in neighboring countries such as Poland and Lithuania. There, they often have to start over without knowing the language, without savings, and frequently without proper documents. We believe resocialization support is essential, but it is impossible to rebuild one’s life without financial resources. Therefore, financial assistance remains one of our priorities.

In 2025, we provided one-time financial support of €1,000 to 500 people. These funds can be used at the recipients’ discretion—for housing, medicine, clothing, or language courses. People decide for themselves which needs are most urgent. 

Natalia Dulina, a former political prisoner and ex-lecturer of Italian at a university in Minsk, has started a new life in Lithuania after her politically motivated imprisonment. She received such assistance, and a separate fundraising campaign was organized for her on the BYSOL platform. She says:
"The support given to people in this situation is truly necessary. It helps to get back on your feet. It also shows that others care. It provides significant psychological support. In prison, they create an atmosphere where you are seen as someone who wasted their time. In prison, you are treated, if not with hatred, then with arrogance and contempt: you are nobody, criminals, terrorists."

At the end of the year, there were two mass releases of political prisoners. Unfortunately, many were expelled from their country without being asked. Over 150 people arrived in a new country with only the clothes they were arrested in years earlier. For them, we launched two emergency fundraising campaigns, each reaching record amounts: €111,000 for the first campaign and €260,000 for the second. Both campaigns were completed exceptionally quickly, raising more than double the initial targets.

The evacuation team worked intensively throughout the year, responding to cases such as the “Gayun case” and ongoing systematic repression. Even after release, many political prisoners were forced to seek safety outside Belarus. Over the year, we handled 140 evacuation cases. Behind this dry term “cases” are real people, sometimes entire families. Today, they are safe.