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  • 4 hours ago
What happens to children when both parents are imprisoned for opposing the regime? Nastja and Vanja fled Belarus with their grandmother after their parents were jailed for their political activism against Lukashenko.

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00:00The moment Nastya and Vanya finally got to see their mother again after years apart.
00:08Their parents were both active in the Belarusian opposition movement and were arrested during the 2020 presidential election campaign, along
00:16with many others.
00:18The children fled to Poland with their grandmother. A year ago, their mother Antonina was released.
00:41Antonina was declared an extremist and sent to a women's prison camp.
00:45You can't show your tears. It's impossible. Although there were moments when you flagged. I just remember when they took
00:55me into a terrorist list.
00:57And I remember it was sad because they put me to a place with a terrorist who kills people.
01:07Their father has been in a penal colony for over five years. They have no contact with him.
01:12Phone calls are forbidden and letters never arrive.
01:16What's the first dream?
01:17Dad.
01:18To return.
01:19Yes.
01:20In whole and alive.
01:21While activists and former inmates report systematic violence and intimidation, children like Nastya and Vanya wait for their parents, holding
01:30on to fading memories.
01:31I forget his goal for his son.
01:34I'm a terrible headache.
01:38I've got a bad headache.
01:38I have a terrible headache, when he's running to be injured.
01:41Even in a moment, every time, every minute.
01:44Even in a minute.
01:45Every time, every second.
01:45Even every millisecond.
01:46I tend to be scared for him.
01:48There is a bad headache.
01:49The worst thing.
01:49Well, you have to wait, ever since they're not running.
01:52Until then, while they're running to pay for someone else.
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