December 6, Pozirk. A fundraiser to support Belarusian volunteer Vasil Vieramiejčyk who fought Russia in Ukraine and is now held in Belarusian custody has collected €8,115, the BySol Solidarity Fund reported.
His wife Jaŭhienija Vieramiejcyk launched the fundraiser on November 21, following the news of his arrest and extradition to Belarus from Vietnam. The funds will be used to pay legal fees and send parcels to detention center.
After the crackdown on 2020 postelection protests, Vieramiejčyk “became a refugee in Ukraine,” joining the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment which fought Russia in Ukraine since 2022, she said.
“He was seriously wounded and received awards. He loves Ukraine and would like to continue living there, but Ukraine banned him from entering its territory,” she noted.
Vieramiejčyk’s attempts to stay in the European Union failed as Lithuania recognized him as a threat to national security over his service in the Belarusian army in 2010-2016, banning him from entering the EU for 30 months, his wife said.
“That’s how my husband ended up in Vietnam. He was arrested at the request of [Alaksandar] Łukašenka’s regime . . . Now Vasil faces the maximum possible punishment in Belarus,” she added.
Minsk considers the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment a terrorist group and its fighters may face death sentences if convicted.
Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja called for a case-specific assessment of each application for asylum after Vieramiejčyk’s extradition to Belarus.
