Александр Потапов. Фото: BYSOL
Sixty-eight-year-old Aliaksandr Potapov lost nearly all his teeth while serving a prison sentence under the article on insulting Lukashenka. He now lives in Ukraine and needs dental prosthetics. The BYSOL Foundation has launched a fundraiser to help him.
Aliaksandr Potapov moved to Belarus in 1997 to care for his mother. In 2020, he supported Syarhei Tsikhanouski, and after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he wrote about it on social media.
In 2022, he was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of insulting Lukashenka (Article 368 of the Criminal Code). He served his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 15 near Mahiliou. After his release in August 2024, he was placed under police supervision and received two violations. Potapov decided to evacuate and moved to Georgia. During this time, he was convicted in absentia in Belarus.
In Tbilisi, Potapov began dental treatment and underwent jaw surgery, but the assistance program was later closed, forcing him to leave. He is now in Ukraine and is seeking help through BYSOL.
“I am facing severe financial difficulties, and the lack of teeth is causing serious health and speech problems. I ask for help with dental prosthetics (a regular denture will not hold because my gums cannot support it). This amount is beyond my means. I sincerely thank everyone for any help!” Potapov wrote.