Franak Viacorka
“The government is trying to harass me and other activists, but my story is not unique…there are many young people in prison, many who have been pushed out of their country, many of them lost their best friends because they are activists.”
Franak Viacorka, 27, a pro-democracy activist in Belarus, who has been harassed, imprisoned and abused many times for his commitment to democratic transition. Franak was expelled from university for participating in pro-democratic and political activities and forced into military service. While in the military, Franak was subjected to forced isolation and was repeatedly threatened and harassed by superiors.
To depict his life in the military, he created Diary of a Belarusian Soldier, a blog published every two weeks by Belarus’ independent news outlet Belapan. The blog went viral, becoming very popular, and military officers demanded that he stop publishing; Franak continued despite threats and persecution, and even managed to run in local elections while still in the army. His personal story eventually became the basis for the internationally acclaimed feature film “Viva Belarus!” which he co-wrote – the first movie in the Belarusian language. He has also produced other film and art projects, as well as multiple musical and audiobook projects. A true innovator, Franak, with other prominent artistic and social activists, co-founded Art Siadziba, which uses public open spaces like libraries and art galleries to host political meetings, academic seminars, training sessions and concerts.
