Gennady Fedynich: It Was Possible To Change The Government In 2020 In An Elementary Way

Real leaders think of people first and then themselves.

The leader of the REP trade union, former political prisoner Gennady Fedynich is a true legend of the Belarusian labor movement.

In 1990, he founded and headed the independent trade union of workers of the radio-electronic industry, which united 275,000 people.

On his initiative in the 1990s, many thousands of protests "No to the impoverishment of the people" were held on Freedom Square and near the Palace of Sports. In 2017, the REP trade union was one of the driving forces behind the "Marches of Angry Belarusians".

Fedynich received four years of "chemistry" in 2018 for his active position. On April 19, 2022, the trade union leader was arrested, and in 2023, the Lukashenko regime sentenced him to a 9-year colony. On September 11, 2025, Gennady Fedynich was deported by the authorities to Lithuania.

In a big interview with the website Charter97.org Gennady Fedynich told why Belarusians failed to regain their freedom in 2020, how to identify the real leaders and what Belarusian patriots should focus on in 2026.

"People in shoulder straps were waiting for a command to obey"

- Let's go back to 2020 - the year of the Belarusian revolution. You watched the protests while under house arrest. How do you assess these events, after the passage of time?".

- I have never seen such a flow of people on the streets of Minsk (and I live near the former Masherov Avenue). And when they asked me during interrogations in the KGB, whether I had been at any rally, I honestly told them: if I had been, it's unlikely that we would be talking to you here, because law enforcers were constantly on duty near my entrance when the protests were held. It is clear that I was at that moment on home chemistry, and even if I wanted to, I could not take part in the actions.

But that's not the point. You can see that people have accumulated a lot of problems at different levels: at the local, at the regional, at the republican level, all this stirred up the Belarusians from the point of view of the desire for change, the struggle for a better future.

And I will say honestly about those events: I don't know who led this scenario, but why did you set up so many people? Why did you organize it if you couldn't do anything? The questions remain. Of course, we should learn lessons from mistakes. Believe me, I have experience, I am not a kid in these matters. When representatives of MAZ, Minsk Tractor Plant and MZKT came to our REP office, I used to say: "Why are you going back and forth, I can't understand, what's the point of going back and forth? They won't let you go to work tomorrow, because you skipped work."

"How can they not let us go?" - they wondered. For tomorrow, they were not allowed into the factories because of absenteeism. Formally everything was done correctly, but no one supported them at the factories because no one worked with the collective. This is not the way to do it.

Yes, the bulk of Belarusians went out on the streets, but without a purpose. Sooner or later everything will be revealed, because the organizers framed so many people, who were later tried. Why didn't anyone think about people when organizing the events? I still have this question.

- In fact, the organization of the marches was handled by Tikhanovskaya's headquarters. What mistakes did her team make? Why did they fail to achieve victory? After all, people were ready to sacrifice a lot for victory.

- First of all, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is a completely new person in this respect, and she was given the opportunity to be a leader, and to be a leader, you need to prove it every day with concrete work. And the impression was that people in Tikhanovskaya's team were overly cautious. So why did they start this whole thing? Neither then nor today does she have much experience in working with people. And experience is necessary for people to listen to you, believe and know that you won't let them down.

Believe me, having 200 thousand people at the rallies in Minsk and other cities, everything was elementary. People in uniform, in my opinion, were waiting for a command to obey in this situation. But here they are looking at something incomprehensible, the situation is completely stupid. Before you organize something, you should clearly understand what you want to achieve. This was not the case.

"For people who came out of prison, it is a shock"

- You have already partially understood the situation that is developing now. What changes have taken place over the years? How do you assess the activities of the structures of Sviatlana Tihanouskaya and Pavel Latushko?

- As for today, it's a shock for many people who came out of prison. It is clear that the Belarusian diaspora has never been as organized as the Ukrainian one. I can tell you by my own example - when we were in Australia with the trade unions, the Ukrainian diaspora immediately came to meet their people. Such an attitude should be learned for more than one year.

But I will say to Tihanovska and Latushko: you have been given the role of leaders, but you do not fulfill it. It is necessary to be at international meetings, no one has canceled it, but a system should be created to protect every Belarusian, who has found himself in a difficult situation abroad, up to his employment. Then it will be possible to maintain contact with him, because he will be grateful to you. And who is he grateful to today? To himself or to a friend who told him where he could get a job. So I will say that there is no systemic work. Organizing people under the aegis that "I am a leader today" or "I was elected to the coordinating council"... Guys, all this is nonsense. Once again I say that leadership must be proven every day. Let Tihanovska's and Latushko's colleagues think how they proved their leadership during these five years.

"When I was alone in the detention center, I sang Ukrainian songs"

- Let's talk about hard things - prison, when you are older such moments are especially difficult to bear. What gave you the strength to hold on?

- In prison, the "yellow-ticket holders", as political prisoners were called, were always in the first rows at the morning and evening checks. Attention was, of course, heightened, and it depended little on the local chiefs of the colony, because everything came from above. There was a command - it had to be obeyed. All political prisoners must be people who do not fulfill the internal order, violators. And if you are a violator, you are deprived of many privileges.

For example, when I entered the colony, I could spend 200 rubles from my pension in the local store. Four months later - only 80 rubles, and so on until the end of the term. What could I buy for 80 rubles? Practically nothing.

We, political prisoners-pensioners, were not forced to hand over money to the detachment fund, unlike others. Imagine, you are a convict, and you have to give money to some unknown place. It is clear, if the TV set or washing machine is broken, you have to give money - no problem, it's for everyone. But in other moments - where does this money go? It's good that the political prisoners were instructed not to use financial pressure.

For a year there were 4-5 deaths in the colony, because there were many pensioners and people older than me, but the point is clear: what kind of medical care can there be in the colonies?

I, having a law degree, helped prisoners to draw up various applications and other things. I was told that I would go to the penitentiary if I helped them. I said, "Show me the instruction where it is forbidden to give a person verbal advice." I don't write instead of him, I give advice in this respect. And people came regularly, almost every day with their own questions, and I had to answer them. Well, how could it be otherwise? These are people after all.

In the SHIZO as in the SHIZO. Of course, it's cold there. You sleep for 20-30 minutes, you can't get more at night, you do exercises to warm up. Of course, it puts a strain on the whole organism. When I was alone in the SHIZO, I sang songs, including Ukrainian songs, I know a lot of them. I will say about my health that in 2018 I got diabetes because of stress, and I had to be constantly injected with insulin, so the guards told me: "I wish you would leave soon, otherwise I have to carry medicine for you all the time, we are fed up with you, we will soon become nurses". I don't want to say that they pressed me terribly there - like every political prisoner. It was clear that it was an order from above, and they followed it.

We had a good contact with the prisoners. As a pensioner, I did not go to the "promka" (industrial zone in the prison - Prim. Charter97.org). But people went, exchanged information, because some people called their relatives, found out news. As a rule, all calls of political prisoners were tapped: who was calling, what we were talking about and to whom we were calling. This is the situation, you can't influence it. And if you can't influence it, you have to agree with it, find ways to make it more survivable for you.

"Why do you keep a blind man in prison?"

- Many of your fellow members of the independent trade union REP went through prisons, many of them are still held hostage by Lukashenka's regime. The situation with Vaclav Oreshko is particularly alarming. Tell us about him and other political prisoners, who need help today.

- You know, Vaclav stopped seeing in one eye even before the trial, and prison became such a stress for him that he lost his sight. And I appeal through your site: if the authorities have any element of humanism, why do you keep a blind man in prison today? Imagine, he can't go to the canteen, he can't go to the toilet - he is being led, he can't see anything. He can't write a letter, only talk on the phone. All his relatives are worried. That's why Vatslav should be released, if there is still a possibility to make an operation, to improve his eyesight somehow, if he can see something. Why make a person an invalid!

We know how the case was fabricated. Václav worked at the trade union site for only three months and got 8 years in prison. And the situation was as follows: the court of Lenin district of Brest considered the materials on our website of the trade union REP and decided to take down some of the articles and recognize them as extremist. We were not present at the trial and, naturally, we did not receive any court materials. The authorities, in all probability, were sure that we had received them and ignored them. That's why the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a decree that an extremist formation had been formed in the REP trade union. I was a counselor at the time, the acting chairman was Vasiliy Beresnev, and the head of the site was Vatslav Oreshko. When the authorities found out that we had not received the court ruling, they were shocked, because the case should be closed immediately. But there was a command from above that the unions should be dispersed and the leadership jailed. Imagine that from the entire REP trade union, Beresnev and I were given nine years, and Vatslav was given eight. No one else got that much. And why? That's the question.

"In my lifetime they will have to answer"

- You were actually deported from your native country. How do you feel about the new practice of Lukashenko's regime? After all, you were actually left without documents in a foreign country.

- You know, in addition to being a lawyer, I am a citizen of the Republic of Belarus. The regime has violated not only international law, but also Belarusian laws. You can't deport people.

- But I don't have a Belarusian passport, although I just made one in prison. They asked me very much: make a passport. My passport expired in 2022. And the passport was brand new, I signed for it. And I know that the passport was handed over from the colony, when I was taken to Minsk before my release. I asked: "Are the documents in place?" They answered, "Yes, the documents are in place. All of them are in place.

I want to appeal to the authorities: are you afraid of the people you illegally imprisoned? There is no need to be afraid. Sooner or later everyone will have to answer for it if someone has broken the law. In my lifetime, they will have to answer for it. Because people, citizens of Belarus, whoever they are, should be treated according to the law, and not in such a way that someone wants to overturn this law. This is not a collective farm, this is the Republic of Belarus.

- How were your first months after your release?

- My health deteriorated, I had to change the hip joint of my right leg, which was successfully done by Lithuanian doctors, thank them for that. Now I feel more or less normal. I still have a number of ailments, our prison does not give health, but on the contrary. Therefore, we will improve, but we are already able to work.

- What kind of assistance is necessary for political prisoners deported from Belarus? Is it provided in full today?

- I want to say thank you - medical care is provided in full. Starting from examination, ending with dental problems.

But people who have been sitting for 4-5 years naturally need professional orientation, need a psychologist. They are in shock because they don't know where to go, where to go, because they have to get a job. If you worked, say, as an electrician, why should you go to work as a construction worker or laborer?

This is the most urgent question for me, as a former trade unionist: the system does not work, it is absent - in Lithuania, Poland, and Germany.

Employment issues: people should have full information - what vacancies are available, where someone can be retrained, so that those people who went abroad feel that they are not alone today, that they are taken care of. That's what, unfortunately, is not there. And I see that this is the most painful thing for people, especially those who were kept in prison.

"Only under these conditions it is possible to negotiate with the regime"

- Lukashenko's dictatorial regime has to make concessions. In my opinion, for a reason. In what state is it in now? What should be done to make this regime go away as soon as possible?

- You know, Lukashenko's regime will not go away so easily, because Russia is behind it, and in many ways everything will depend on Moscow. Because most of the economy today works for Russia, and this is a fact.

As for the question of how to negotiate with this regime, I will say that today the KGB and the Interior Ministry have been given great powers (more than before), and although people are released, more are imprisoned. This must stop, all political prisoners must be released, and no one should be imprisoned under these articles, forget about it.

The political prisoners who have been released must be cleared of all the checks that exist in the police stations. Only under these conditions it is possible to negotiate with the regime. Before that, there should be no talks, in my opinion. Neither the European Union, nor any country can negotiate in this regard, because people's fates are behind this, and it must be taken into account.

As for the economy, Belarus clearly lacks workers, but there will be no doubt, especially professionals. Because, as far as I know, professionals - doctors, skilled workers - have left Belarus and are not going to return there.

Now the question is about "idleness", that it is necessary to pay the full cost of public utilities, so the authorities want to force people to work. Yes, in principle, people should work, but if you are a person with money today, you can not be employed - it's your problem, you spend your own money, earned, not stolen. Therefore, I think that in terms of attitude to people, Belarusians today, as they say, earn a "receipt", not a salary.

People should be paid, rates should be changed, the system at the enterprises should be changed, unnecessary units should be liquidated - they should be retrained and given the opportunity to earn. But today, what kind of investments are there? No investor will invest money in Belarus!

The Diaspora should think here. "The regime will change, we will come to power". What power? What will you come with? With slogans? It's too late to go to people with slogans. You have to go to them with specifics, that new jobs will be created and investors will come. And in order to get it, we need to work with them today, tomorrow it will be too late. So think about people first, and then about yourself, then you will be a leader. Any power that will come after Lukashenko's regime must have a constructive opposition. Without it, it will tread on the ground and make a lot of mistakes.

"Moscow will not save Lukashenko here"

- The International Labor Organization has applied the 33rd paragraph against Lukashenko's regime - a full trade embargo against the Belarusian authorities. Is there anything that can be done to make national governments start enforcing this decision?"

- Even if there is a decision at the level of national governments, it will not be enough. The logistics have completely changed. Here we should follow Trump's line: if someone is involved in the supply of dual-use goods, of course, we should stop working with them. But before that, we need to warn them if there are such attempts. Because, for example, the 33rd paragraph of the ILO was first applied to Myanmar, and trade relations were completely frozen. A year later, the dictator of Myanmar came and said: "Tell me what should be done, I will do everything."

Yes, today there are contacts with Russia, but Moscow will not save here. Because a number of fine spare parts, including microelectronics, somehow come from the same China. Therefore, to introduce paragraph 33 is one problem, and its implementation, as planned, is a completely new problem, which, in my opinion, Europe is not ready for today.

Naturally, we need to raise this issue and discuss it, so that the ILO can work in contact with the EU. We should discuss it both in the European Parliament and at the level of EU leaders. I repeat once again: if some countries are involved in the supply of dual-use goods, all trade relations with them should be frozen. Then the 33rd paragraph of the ILO will start to work. But this should be accepted, at least at the level of Europe. As for the United States, there is not so much production going on there.

"Don't lose what you did in 2020"

- What are your plans for the future? Tell us what is happening today with the REP union to which you have devoted so many years of your life.

- Yes, I gave more than 30 years to REP. I was the chairman of the trade union committee of the design bureau of precision electronic engineering. And I was elected to this post by general secret ballot of the labor collective. They voted for a week, such a thing has never happened anywhere in history, and it is unlikely that anyone will repeat it. This is the trust of the collective, it is not the trust of people at some conference.

For three years the office of the REP trade union in Minsk was sealed, now there is some repair work going on. It is the property of the trade union, it was purchased for union dues. There are all the documents, if they haven't liquidated it, then everything will be all right with it. The office will come back to us sooner or later. The main thing is that people who want to resume the REP should believe in it.

Today quite a lot of people from the trade union (it was an eye-opener for me) are abroad. Naturally, we are not going to recreate some REP union abroad. It's not serious, it will be beautiful on paper only. Here we need, I say again, to do completely different things. And there are many REP workers who have gone through a certain school. You may not know that in recent years there has been a large flow of people coming to the office. And we were in close contact with the human rights center "Viasna", because when people came to "Viasna" on labor issues, "Viasna" sent them to us. When people came for administrative or criminal cases, we sent them to them. That was the contact. Because people should be protected in any way. Our legal illiteracy in Belarus is very high.

How to organize abroad? We have to think. I'm not ready to say specifically yet, but I'm sure that people who will be employed here will be protected by law.

At one time, even before the imprisonment, some of our people have already gone to Lithuania, and we, in contact with them, translated the fundamental articles of the Lithuanian Labor Code into Russian and Belarusian languages, so that Belarusians could read them, because the language is not so quickly mastered. Lithuanian is not an easy language, Polish is a little easier in this respect.

- What would you like to say to the Belarusians, who continue the struggle?

- I would say that Belarusians have always fought not against the authorities, but fought for their better future, it can be humanly understood: a Belarusian deserves to live better, but someone upstairs does not give him. A Belarusian should not live from paycheck to paycheck and think how to live on it, where to get money.

I would like to wish and ask Belarusians, if possible, do not lose what you did in 2020 - yard committees. There were a lot of good, normal people there. Expand mutual assistance, do not try to be more cunning than your neighbor, be together with your neighbor.

What concerns Belarusians who are abroad, it is more difficult for them. I would ask them, as far as possible, to exchange phone numbers, because the time will come (though we missed it a lot) when the Belarusian diaspora will gain strength. Even if someone is employed here and is satisfied with his life, he should know that he is in the Diaspora, and not just "a Belarusian came to Europe". This is a great labor. And if we do it, then Belarus will know that they also think about those Belarusians who live from paycheck to paycheck.

I believe that it is necessary and possible to create a functioning Belarusian diaspora in Europe, but not at the expense of people, but together with them. I, naturally, like many Belarusians, want to return to my homeland. I am sure that Belarusians will return home.

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