Former political prisoner Kanstantsin Zalatykh diagnosed with kidney cancer. He asks for help

Kanstantsin Zalatykh is a media manager who, since 2011, headed the Minsk correspondent office of the European Radio for Belarus, and since 2014, also served as the director of ZAO "Mediarynak," which published the newspaper "Belarusy i rynok."

On May 18, 2022, KGB officers searched the editorial office and his home, after which the journalist was detained. He was charged under four articles of the Criminal Code: insult of a government official, insult of Lukashenka, incitement to hatred, and official forgery. Zalatykh himself considers the case fabricated and politically motivated, related to his professional activities.

He spent over a year in the pre-trial detention center on Valadarskaha Street, and after his conviction, he was sent to Navapolatsk penal colony. In total, Zalatykh was held for 65 days in a disciplinary isolation cell, where, according to him, he was subjected to torture by cold. It was almost impossible to receive necessary qualified medical assistance while imprisoned.

He fully served his four-year sentence and was released on October 23, 2025. However, he remained on the KGB and Ministry of Internal Affairs lists of "terrorists" and "extremists," which, according to him, deprived him of fundamental civil rights and created a threat of new persecution.

After his arrest, the Zalatykh family left Belarus. Upon his release, he was also forced to leave the country and reunited with his relatives in Poland. There, during a medical examination, he was diagnosed with several illnesses, including kidney cancer.

In September 2026, doctors planned to perform a complex operation that would preserve the kidney, but they abandoned it just before starting. The tumor is located inside the organ, so the risk of losing it was too high.

On October 5, Zalatykh was hospitalized again for a biopsy and additional examinations. However, the procedure could not be performed this time either: the tumor is located too close to the arteries. He has now been referred to a specialized clinic in Wrocław, where doctors will determine the further course of treatment after new examinations.

In addition to his oncological disease, the former political prisoner has heart problems, and damage to the blood vessels in his legs requires surgery. Medical procedures and necessary medications are provided to him free of charge in Poland, so the fundraising is not for treatment, but for the family's daily needs.

Due to his illness, hospitalizations, and ongoing examinations, Zalatykh is currently unable to work full-time. After imprisonment and forced relocation, the family has almost no funds left, and they need to pay for housing, buy groceries, and cover other essential expenses.

"I admit, asking for help is very difficult. I usually take care of my loved ones myself. My family has already endured years of separation, fear, and uncertainty. Now that we are finally together again, more than anything, I want the illness not to deprive us of a roof over our heads as well. I hope that after completing the examinations and treatment, I will once again be able to provide for my family independently. But right now, we need support to get through the next few months," writes Kanstantsin Zalatykh.

4500 Euros need to be raised.

Of this, 3000 Euros are planned for housing rent and utility payments for three months, 900 Euros for trips to Wrocław for diagnostics and surgery, and another 600 Euros for groceries, essential household items, and other family expenses for three months.

You can support Kanstantsin Zalatykh through the BySol platform via this link.

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