Yana Pinchuk told how she was arrested five years ago in St. Petersburg at the request of Belarus

November 1, 2021. I turn off the alarm clock. I kiss my sleeping husband and go to make coffee. It's autumn in St. Petersburg: cold, wet, and very gray. But I love such weather and every day I enjoy this gloom and hopelessness of the city.

If only I had known that only a few minutes remained until true hopelessness…

A knock at the door, another knock, a louder banging, furious pounding on the door. I get angry and think, "What the hell?"

I look through the peephole… People in black? Is this a new game release, or have I been assigned personal bodyguards for my metro ride?

— Nikita, some collectors are breaking in, will you open it?

A male voice:

— Does Pinchuk Yana Vitalievna live here? She is on an interstate wanted list; a request has been received from the Republic of Belarus.

Oh shit, these aren't collectors. What to do?

Window, window, right, window! Second floor — I can jump and run into any shop, and from there through the back entrance… Where are my slippers?

Damn it, you idiot, Yana, you idiot! What second floor, this is a 'Stalinka' (Stalin-era building), all four floors are here! You'll break your legs, and they'll still catch you. Better go out calmly and talk.

I try to compose myself and speak calmly, but my voice betrays notes of despair, hysteria, and a prayer that this was just a mistake and they wouldn't arrest me right now, that they had confused me or at least just conducted a search:

— Good day, I am Yana Vitalievna.

— We are criminal investigation officers. You are on a federal wanted list at the request of the Republic of Belarus.

— And what have I done?

— Creation of an extremist organization and incitement of hatred.

— Get ready, don't move away from us and hand over your phone. We're being good to you, as a girl. If you were a guy — we would have twisted your arms.

I look at Nikita and see his eyes — eyes I would see again over the five years of imprisonment. I still remember that gaze. The look of a person whose spirit was crushed in a fraction of a second. Just yesterday we were having fun, making plans for the future, talking about a wedding in Spain, waiting for documents to fly, and now he is devastated. And he understands everything perfectly, but can do nothing. We both realized that this was the end. There was no turning back.

We followed the events of 2020 from the very beginning. From August 9, I became not only a witness but also direct proof of how ruthless the system can be. It has no rules, no principles, and no happy ending.

This is a system of usurpation and tyranny: you fight for freedom of speech and choice, and as a result, you find yourself in dirty basements, locked in four walls alone with your fears.

A system where killing its own people is a pleasure. And if you're not interested in politics, believe me, it will be interested in you. Through primal fear and ideology.

And the main question is: how great are your fears of these political games, and how ready are you to resist them?

I close my eyes — November 1, 2021.

I open them — 2026. Another country, another life, five years between these moments. And in front of me is an unfamiliar Spaniard. Though no, it's my husband. Right now we are speaking a different language," Yana wrote.

Павялічыць

In June 2023, Yana Pinchuk was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in a general regime facility under articles concerning participation in an "extremist formation" (Part 1, Art. 361-1 of the Criminal Code), actions against national security (Part 3, Art. 361 of the Criminal Code), incitement of hatred (Part 3, Art. 130 of the Criminal Code), mass riots (Part 3, Art. 293 of the Criminal Code), and creation of a "terrorist organization" or participation in it (Part 1, Art. 290-4 of the Criminal Code). She was released on September 16, 2026, among 25 political prisoners who were pardoned.

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