I won’t silence myself again.

I am a writer based in Belarus, and this is my story.<br><br>In 2015, I was an eighth-grader in a middle school in Belarus. One day, I wrote about the political crisis in Belarus on my blog. It was a seemingly harmless act, something I did for fun, and I posted it on my blog at school.<br><br>As a result of that post, my principal called me into his office to meet with secret service personnel. They accused me of spreading "anti-colonial propaganda" against Belarus and threatened to erase my blog. Feeling scared and intimidated, I braced myself and said I'd delete it. I left the principal's office with a mixture of emotions - disappointment, anger, and a little bit of shame. I felt as if I'd failed my comrades who were arrested and beaten. This was the first time I'd been silenced.<br><br>In 2019, I was in my first year of university when Michael Zhelobukhovsky, the rector of the Belarusian State University in Minsk, was arrested. I decided to openly criticize the government's actions on social media. This was during the period of "parasite tax" protests, where people were arrested for speaking out against the government.<br><br>My mother, who is a school teacher, went to her regional education department's office. When she was there, a superior colleague approached her and said that she must monitor my social media because she could lose her job if the government became aware of my activities. My mother asked me to delete everything, and I said that I wouldn't. She warned me about the potential consequences and that I could face imprisonment.<br><br>I was 18 and angry. I argued with her, but she told me that I was too young to take huge risks. I was trapped, so I removed all my posts. I didn't feel like I had a choice, and I was disappointed in myself for giving in.<br><br>Fast-forward to 2020. I was a student again, and I came across a post by Olga Korsun (a Belarusian singer and artist) who was against the regime. I was inspired by her and began to openly express my support for her and other notable Belarusians who were against the regime. I was 19 and determined not to be silenced again.<br><br>In August 2020, protests broke out in Belarus after fraudulent elections. Alexander Lukashenko, the long-time dictator of Belarus, brutally cracked down on protesters. I remember the day the police arrested the students at my university. We were terrified and feared for our lives.<br><br>I started writing again, about what I saw and experienced. I shared it on social media, and the police arrested people who disagreed with the regime. I was scared, but I wrote more. I wasn't doing it to be brave or to inspire others; I was doing it for myself, to remember what I've gone through.<br><br>The day after the protests, I came home and destroyed everything that reminded me of Belarus, including my school certificates and national dress. I realized that I had been silenced by fear and shame. I couldn't let myself be silenced anymore.<br><br>I began to share my story, and the stories of others who were silenced. I shared about the police arresting people and beating students at my university. I shared about the brutality of the regime.<br><br>I didn't let myself be silenced again.<br><br>Belarus is now calling itself a democracy, and people in the West believe it. We're not a democracy, we're a dictatorship. The regime in Belarus is not tolerant of opposition. A day won't pass without the regime arresting people. And yet, some call Belarus a democratic country.<br><br>We're not.<br><br>So I won't silence myself anymore.<br><br> Belarus is not a democracy. It’s a dictatorship, and my voice matters.<br><br>Note: I wasn’t arrested. I wasn’t beat up. I’m just scared. I’m a man with thin frame, afraid of the batons, and I’m afraid of being sent to prison before I ever had the chance of living a full life. But I’m not going to be silenced again. And you shouldn’t either. ??<br><br>Thousands of people have been arrested. They have been brutally tortured, beaten. This is our story. This is us being silenced. This is my voice.<br><br>And my voice matters.