LET’S HELP FORMER POLITICAL PRISONER MIKITA ZALATAROU

Dear friends, today we are asking you to support a young Belarusian and former political prisoner, Mikita Zalatarou.

Mikita became one of the youngest political prisoners in Belarus. He was imprisoned at just 16 years old — an age when his peers were finishing school, making plans for the future, and taking their first steps towards independence.

Instead, Mikita spent some of the most important years of his adolescence and early adulthood behind bars.

In March 2026, following his release as a result of negotiations involving US representative John Coale, Mikita arrived in Lithuania.

For more than seven months now, he has been gradually adapting to life in freedom, learning to live independently, and trying to gain the life experience he was denied during his years in prison.

Mikita works part-time, does his best to support himself, and is making plans for the future.

But starting adult life almost from scratch, especially in a foreign country, is far from easy.

Today, Mikita is facing financial difficulties and has reached out to us for help.

We are launching a fundraiser for €500 to support him during this challenging period and help cover his essential living expenses.

For a young person who is only beginning to build an independent life after years of imprisonment, this support can provide much-needed stability and a little more confidence about the future.

We cannot give Mikita back the years he spent behind bars. But we can help him take his next steps in freedom.

We are grateful for any contribution, no matter how small. Every donation makes a difference!