They’re not saying how it was done or where he is, of course. But Mikita Losik — brother of imprisoned journalist Ihar Losik — has slipped the tentacles of Belarus’ dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko, after being sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for “extremist activities.”

With his brother already serving a 15-year sentence on specious charges of “inciting hatred” and “organization of mass riots,” Mikita was working at a machine tool plant in the eastern Belarusian city of Orsha in February 2023, when he observed a train convoy of Russian tanks and air-defense vehicles passing through the city. As he says now:

“We’re told Belarus is a peaceful country, but here we were helping Russia’s war effort in broad daylight. I had to act.” RFE/RL, July 24, 2025.]

And he did just that, taking photos and submitting them to Belaruski Hajun, a popular online monitoring channel that reports on military activities in Belarus. [Id.]

More than two years later, at 6:00 a.m. on April 9, 2025, his dormitory room was invaded by eight masked, armed men who pinned Mikita and his roommate to the ground. Showing him Telegram messages he had long since deleted, they handcuffed him and took him to Vitebsk for questioning and detainment.

They clearly knew who he was, as one of the men asked, “Want to be in the next cell with your brother?” [Id.]

On the basis of an old Telegram subscription and some social media posts containing a “No to war” hashtag, his two-day closed trial resulted in his conviction and sentencing to three years of incarceration in a sort of open prison facility under parole-like control and restrictions. [Id.]

Knowing that the slightest infraction could still land him in a far worse penal colony, and that his relationship to his brother Ihar would surely be held against him, Mikita made his decision to flee.

With the aid of the BySol Foundation, an organization supporting Belarusian political prisoners and dissidents, he was able to engineer his escape.

While in pretrial detention in Vitebsk, Mikita says he met numerous political prisoners, including engineers, students, and others sentenced “just for sending money or posting emojis.” And though he knows that he is still not entirely out of danger, he believes he made the right choices:

“I couldn’t pretend not to see what was happening. I couldn’t stay silent while our land was being used to wage war.” [Id.]

So, while older brother Ihar Losik —who has not been heard from for the past two years — presumably remains in prison, Mikita is at least free . . . though not entirely. He must remain in hiding indefinitely, knowing that he is a wanted man in his own country.

*. *. *

Thus, Mikita Losik will be moved (not removed) from our regular hostage list to a new category . . . one for endangered exiles.

Still, it is a step in the right direction.

Be safe, Mikita.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
7/26/25