Yauhen Afnagel: We Will Return To Belarus, And We Will Return Belarus To Europe

• 22.09.2025, 13:40

We are going down the same path that Poland, the Czech Republic, the Baltic States, and all of Eastern Europe have traveled in their time.

The "Solidarnost" talked to the activist about the first emotions after his release, humanity behind bars and why one wants to smile now. As well as how Belarusians have changed, what the regime is afraid of and when Belarus will be free.

Eugen Afnagel, coordinator of "European Belarus," one of the founders of the movement "Zubr," had to spend several years in exile after the events of 2010. He recalls how he walked around Vilnius with a large malamute, which passers-by called "wolf" (and one of the symbols of Vilnius is a wolf).

Today Yauhen is back in Vilnius, but the circumstances are quite different. He spent almost five years in prison, and the other day he was forcibly deported from the country together with 50 other political prisoners. They took away his passport and the opportunity to return, but they couldn't take away his trademark smile, or inner strength, or faith in Belarusians and a better future of Belarus.

- We should call things by their names: it's not just deportation, not just confiscation of passport - it's an attempt to deprive him of citizenship, - Yauhen assesses the "humanistic" step of the regime. - But they can't deprive them of their homeland: Belarus is in the heart, it's in the soul. We'll fight for our return to the Motherland - they won't wait for us!

"To feel your support and solidarity - it's the coolest and coolest thing"

- How do you feel? Did you at least get some sleep?

Thankfully, not yet. Why "luckily" - because it's a lot of people, meetings, talking to friends, family. And that's cool. But everything is still ahead, there is time. And I slept in prison - unfortunately, there was more opportunity for that there.

First emotions - great joy from seeing and hearing my wife, mother, relatives, friends, Belarusians. I see incredible solidarity and support. And, of course, another feeling - great gratitude.

- Almost five years you spent behind bars (the activist was detained in September 2020, Lukashenko's "justice" sentenced him to a 7-year colony, then to a maximum security prison). Now you've been free for only a few days. How strong is the contrast? How have the Belarusians changed?

- You know, we were taken from the KGB detention center to the border already "politely", without bags on our heads, and we managed to see a little bit of Minsk. The city changed a lot, became depressed. In the morning, it seems that everyone goes to work, there should be a lot of people on the avenue - but no, the streets are almost empty.

What concerns the changes in Belarusians - I saw them back in 2020. It became clear: the country definitely has a future, the nation has a core, there are leaders, there is a force that will allow us all to go forward, to sweep away all the obstacles and to achieve our goals.

Now this mood is somewhere hidden, because the country is living under occupation, in a much harsher dictatorship than it was then. But the reason is simple: the authorities are afraid of this force, this new energy, which has been accumulating for decades and manifested itself in 2020. And it hasn't disappeared anywhere.

- Many of those released have serious health conditions. As far as we know, did your eyesight deteriorate in prison?

- Yes, my eyesight deteriorated, but in general, in my opinion, everything is fine. I have nothing to complain about. Again - will not wait. Gradually, I hope, I'll recover.

The more so, every Belarusian, having come to Vilnius, literally in a couple of days finds sources for recuperation - there is a special energy here, from Kalinowski to the founders of the Belarusian People's Republic, fighters for independence in different times. This energy fuels you and strengthens you.

- Do you have a personal place of strength in Vilnius?

- I'll probably say a banality: it's the old Vilnius, where there are many Belarusian places. We walked with friends near the Ostry Brama, near the tower of Gedimin, near the gymnasium where Natalia Arsenieva studied - everywhere there are places connected with our common history, the struggle for independence of Lithuania and Belarus.

By the way, I would like to take this moment to thank Lithuania for its hospitality and for its principled position towards Belarus. They adequately assess the situation and take appropriate measures.

- Our colleague Pavel Mazheiko said that he dreamed of eating a slice of pizza when he was free. Did you have such a dream?

- There were no such dreams, such as "to drink coffee" or "to eat pizza". It was more of a prediction that came true. Already in the middle of the summer there was a feeling that we might be expelled, and I realized that the first city I would see would be Vilnius. And so it turned out.

The most important thing for me is the people who fought for us while we were in jail. Family, relatives, friends. It was with them that I wanted to see them - and it came true. I saw friends from "European Belarus", journalists, who wrote about us (thank you very much - even behind bars we knew about it through various sources).

It was the most cool and important thing to see how many of you there are, to feel your spirit and solidarity.

"The regime realizes that the whole world is against it. And that scares them"

For five years Yevgeny went through the pre-trial detention center, the prison in Novopolotsk and the prison in Mahiliou, SHIZO, PKT, he was deprived of visits, calls, limited "transfers" - the full set for a political prisoner. But recalling the conditions, he drew parallels with world events and concluded:

- The pressure from the West is increasing, solidarity actions are intensifying, sanctions are being imposed - in the long run this is good. No matter what the authorities say, no matter how they pretend that it is the other way around, no matter how they manipulate - but when they fight for you, the regime realizes that you are not alone, not ten or a hundred people are against it, but the whole world. And that scares them.

He recalls how the masked men quickly jumped out of the bus at the border - "just in case something happens, in case someone steps into the EU territory," he ironizes.

The same goes for solidarity letters. Even if they don't reach - but operatives, censors, and superiors know about their number. And then it is difficult to convince a prisoner that he has been forgotten.

- They are not fools - from ordinary policemen to chiefs - they all think about the future. They read, they think about what may await them. They react, try to make a bed. Then it is easier for us.

There were cases of human attitude. Some employees could shake hands, apologize, or even say "Vive Belarus!"

One political prisoner once asked to write him poems of Bogdanovich's "The Pogony". The controller noticed... We thought: that's it, report, punishment. But he, uh.

Sometimes it's out of fear, sometimes out of simple human emotion. But it is important that it is there - even behind bars.

- Do you remember when you learned about the beginning of the war in Ukraine? How did it affect the mood in prison?"

- When the war started, I was sitting in the SHIZO and preparing for indoor prison. The news was brought by one of the newcomers. But in general, everything was clear even before: we had seen infopreparation, drills, statements like "we are not preparing for war."

There was such a moment. One guard in Novopolotsk, an ardent Putinist, when I asked him what was going on, he said: "Everything is normal, "our people are advancing, we will soon take Kiev".

Two years later, I was back in the penitentiary, the same guard. I asked: how are you doing? He answered: "All right, we are advancing, soon we will take Odessa". I was surprised: "You were talking about Kiev two years ago, weren't you?" He thought for a moment and said: "Ai, leave me alone, everything will be fine."

- You met your birthdays in detention. Did you manage to feel the holiday at least a little?

- We created it ourselves. Of course, we celebrated birthdays, New Year, but also national holidays: the Day of Will, July 27, the Day of Belarusian Military Glory.

Maybe "celebrated" is a strong word. But just to sit, drink tea, tell other prisoners what kind of day it is - it already creates the atmosphere of a holiday. It all depends on the people. And it seems that we succeeded.

"Belarus will be free, independent and European"

The hardest thing in captivity for Yevgeny was the news about the death of relatives: his father died, his wife's parents - it was impossible to say goodbye...

But communication with relatives - letters, calls - gave strength:

- Every letter from his wife or mother, a conversation with them, good news - it was a small celebration.

The interviewee seems to have carried all this positivity through all 5 years. He smiles, jokes that he needs to grow a beard again - otherwise acquaintances won't recognize him. He is looking forward to meeting his family. He's getting used to ChatGPT and voice in Telegram (although the disappearance of Skype was a shock).

But most importantly: the activist is determined to continue the struggle for a free and democratic Belarus.

- After 2010, you've already had the experience of emigration, but now everything is different. What are your feelings? Is there hope for the best?

- After 2020 it is not hope - it is certainty. I know that everything will be fine.

We are going the same way as Poland, the Czech Republic, the Baltic States, the whole of Eastern Europe. Some are going faster, some slower, but the formula works and eventually leads to freedom.

That's why I have not hopes, but knowledge. I know: Belarus will be a free, independent, European country within the EU (and now, I think, obviously, within NATO).

How quickly depends on us. But I know that we will succeed: We will return to Belarus. And we will return Belarus to Europe.