Коллаж: haber.sol.org.tr
A Nigerian student, Muhammed, spent nearly six months in a detention facility in Minsk after failing to renew his student visa on time. He was only released from Belarus after purchasing a ticket from Belavia, which was one of the conditions for his deportation. This was reported by Turkish journalist Okay Deprem, who met him during his own detention in Belarus in September 2025.
Deprem, a citizen of Turkey and Russia who had lived in Donetsk for several years, had appeared in Belarusian state media since 2023 and covered the 2025 presidential election. However, in September 2025 he was detained, held for ten days on Akrestsina, and deported. It was there that he met Muhammed.
“Around the same time as me, he was detained by xenophobic officers in uniform. He was forcibly held for more than 5.5 months in conditions resembling the late Middle Ages,” Deprem wrote.
When the 23-year-old’s visa expired, he voluntarily contacted the authorities, expecting to resolve the issue. Instead, he was informed of his deportation and placed in handcuffs. The reason for his prolonged detention was the requirement to purchase a ticket specifically through Belavia with a transfer in Dubai — one of the most expensive routes. Muhammed explained that he could only afford a cheaper ticket via Moscow, which a friend was ready to buy for him, but the authorities rejected this option. Neither he nor his family could raise the necessary funds.
As a result, Muhammed was placed in a temporary detention facility, where he spent nearly six months. The cell was designed for six people but often held 10 to 15. He slept on the floor on a dirty mattress. There was no table — most detainees ate on the floor. Bedding was insufficient. The помещения were infested with bedbugs, making sleep nearly impossible. Heating was also inadequate during winter.
“As for toilet conditions, they are the stuff of legend: in a ‘cabin’ where up to 15 or even 20 people may lie packed together, there is only one squat toilet. At best, it is in extremely poor condition, dating back to the 1980s. The stall is lower than an adult’s height and completely open at the top, so everything is effectively broadcast to everyone nearby,” Deprem wrote.
Breakfast consisted of two pieces of bread, half a glass of unsweetened tea, and a small portion of porridge. Other meals often included pork meatballs or liver, with no alternatives for those who do not eat pork for religious reasons. Showers were allowed no more than once a week. During the entire six months, detainees were not taken outside. Family visits were not allowed, phone calls were extremely rare, and lawyers were not granted access.
Muhammed was eventually released after an international charity paid for his ticket. However, he was not allowed to take his belongings — several dozen kilograms accumulated over years in Belarus — despite repeated requests. He has not been able to recover them since.
Deprem notes that such cases appear to be systemic. According to his observations, Belarus actively attracts foreign students, especially from Africa and the Middle East, but treats them harshly for even minor violations. Dozens of foreigners were held in similar situations, some for months, and one citizen of Turkmenistan for over a year.
“Muhammed and everyone else inside literally swore they would never, under any circumstances, set foot on this land again,” Deprem concluded.