They were two of all Belarusians who were subjected to violence and threats after protesting against President Lukashenko.
The men lived in the basement under the Swedish embassy in Belarus between September 2020 and June 2022, despite the Swedish government announcing early on that the asylum process could not be solved there.
In early June, they decided to flee.
- We told the embassy staff that we needed a medical examination at a health center in a city near Minsk.
They drove us there, says Vlad Kuznetjik.
But instead of visiting doctors, they took the taxi and went to the border with Latvia.
- We were of course very nervous and prepared that we could be arrested, Kuznetjik says.
Now Vlad Kuznetjik hopes to be able to receive care in Latvia and has applied for asylum.
He also longs to meet his relatives who remain in Belarus.
- Right now we have no status, but it can take up to 5 months to get the application tested.
Then our family members can apply for a visa.
Hear Vlad Kuznetjik talk about his escape from Belarus.