Yauhen Merkis
Yauhen Merkis is a journalist who covered the protest actions following the 2020 presidential election. He was repeatedly subjected to detentions, fines, and administrative arrests. After several independent media outlets were designated as extremist organizations, Yauhen focused on local history research. On September 13, 2022, in the afternoon, a search was conducted in the journalist’s apartment in Homiel, after which his data storage devices were seized and he himself was detained. On September 11, 2025, it became known that he had been taken to Lithuania.
Freedom for me is not only the ability to say and do what you want, but also the responsibility for yourself and your loved ones, when no one orders you how to live. My home is always with me. Physically, it remains in my native Homel in Belarus, but I sincerely hope to return there and am doing everything I can to make it happen. Life after imprisonment is difficult because you have forgotten who you once were — what you loved, what you wanted. But nothing can replace freedom. And I sincerely hope that other prisoners will return home as soon as possible, embrace their families, kiss their loved ones, and begin moving toward the future.
