Fundraiser collects €5,000 for exiled actor Jesianievič in one week

August 30, Pozirk. Since August 23, Belarusians have collected more than €5,000 for the family of former Janka Kupała theatre actor Dźmitryj Jesianievič forced to flee Belarus fearing politically-motivated persecution, the BySol Solidarity Fund said.

“After my dismissal [from the theatre] in 2020, my wife and I, two newborn babies and my eldest daughter were evicted from the apartment provided by the theatre, despite legislation protecting families with several children,” Jesianievič said. “I was blacklisted which effectively deprived me of the opportunity to work in Belarus. I could not find any official job.”

In May, the man served 14 days in jail for alleged cooperation with the Warsaw-based Belsat TV channel deemed extremist in Belarus. He managed to leave the country with his family and is now based in Poland.

Following the 2020 postelection protests, Belarusian authorities keep punishing any cooperation with independent media outlets, even if it occurred prior to the media’s extremist designation.