Vitaly Zhuk

served a year and a half in prison for "insulting Lukashenka".

Zhuk claims that after his release he heard threats from local police: "We will arrest you and your wife."

The family urgently left Belarus.

His wife and children went to Poland, Vitali went to Georgia.

Now they are reunited in Italy.

"He stayed with his wife and children for only five days after his release"

Vitaly and his wife Margarita Kasabutskaya have four small children.

The eldest Alexandra is 11 years old, Artem is 7, Nastya is 6, Maria is 3 years old.

Vitaly served a year and a half in prison for "insulting Lukashenka".

He says that after his release and return to his native Kobrin, he heard threats from local policemen.

"They threatened to imprison me and my wife again.

They said that "we know where and what she writes".

Moreover, while I was sitting, my wife was searched more than once.

It turned out that I was released on December 17, and on December 22 we urgently left Belarus," says Vital.

The wife and children left for Poland.

Vitaly did not have a visa, so with the support of the BySol foundation, he traveled around the "big circle": Russia, Armenia, Georgia.

There he was waiting for a visa to Poland.

Vital Zhuk with children

"People from BySol (I don't think I can name them) were in touch with me 24 hours a day.

Every step I took was with their help.

Moreover, in Moscow I was under stress, some kind of depression came from this situation, and they helped me psychologically as well," recalls the former political prisoner.

He stayed a day in Yerevan and left for Tbilisi.

"BySol handled all manipulations, all movements, ticket booking.

I am very grateful for that.

And literally today I found out that I am not the only one like that.

They helped my friend, who also served a sentence, in the same way," says Vital.

"Belarus took me to the market and bought all the necessary products"

Moving abroad for Vitaly and his family was sudden and unprepared.

Vitaly says that they had practically no funds on hand.

“But all along the way I met help.

She just went everywhere.

My wife and I were helped by "Dissidents", the "Strana dlya zhizni" fund, and ordinary Belarusians.

I was left penniless in Tbilisi, I didn't even have anything to pay for the hostel.

Belarusians came to my aid.

One gave me shelter so that I could live with him.

The second took me to the market and bought all the necessary products," says Vital.

Vital Zhuk with children in Italy

Meanwhile, his wife and children lived near Warsaw.

Vitaliy says that there the family found support both from Belarusians and from foundations.

The woman was called to her by Belarusian Yulia Yukhno, who lives in Italy and heads the "People's Embassy" there.

"When I was still in the colony, it was Julia who helped my family.

She organized a vacation in Italy for her wife and children.

And now she is our "guardian angel" and helps us in everything," says the former prisoner.

"There were many emotions, stress, excitement"

Vital flew from Tbilisi to Moldova, and from there to Italy, where his family was already waiting for him.

"We met in the Italian city of Prato.

It was noisy on the platform of the railway station, everyone was talking in Italian.

At first I did not see the children and the wife, but I heard the cry: "Dad!".

The meeting was very emotional.

We haven't seen each other since December (Vital was released on December 17, 2022. — RS).

And emotions, and stress, and a kind of stupor attacked.

Because I lived with thoughts: "Will we see each other again or not, will we escape or not?".

There was so much excitement in me and in them.

But in the end, everything worked out," said Vital.

Vital Zhuk with his child

In Prat, Belarusian activist Yuliya Yuhno, who heads the "People's Embassy", takes care of them.

"She literally leads us by the hand.

And translates for us, and helps with documents, legalization, search for housing.

Thanks to her, we tried to escape.

It is unthinkable that there are such people.

How difficult it would be for us in a foreign country, without knowing the language, if there were no such people," says the former prisoner.

In addition to Belarusians, the authorities of the city of Prata and local trade unions volunteered to help the family.

"Now we are drawing up various documents and we will somehow adjust life here," Vital added.

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