(To hear the interview in .mp3 format or download it to your iPod, click here or right-click and choose “save target as”.)

Since Alexander Lukashenka became president of Belarus in 1994, he has used every avenue possible to repress political opposition to his rule. He has jailed politicians and activists, shut down NGOs both major and minor, destroyed the independent media, and ensured that no man but he will win the so-called presidential election that is held every five years.

Some of his biggest opposition, however, comes from university students who crave opportunity in a country whose government regulates the economy and civic life to the point of enslavement.

It is for this reason that Belarusian universities, unlike their peers in the West, do not enjoy a healthy extracurricular life. Academic administration has been centralized, with deans being held directly responsible by government officials. No political clubs are allowed; students caught participating in such activities face real threats of expulsion on charges with no basis in reality. Simply publicly expressing one????????s thoughts on the latest scandal can lead to a lifetime of misery. Freedom of conscious is fine, as long as you are pro-government.

Nearly 75% of those protesting the March 2006 presidential election were young people, mainly students. For days, KGB plainclothes agents would monitor the rallies on October Square, taking pictures and video of the students for future identification purposes. The deans of different universities were then pressured by the authorities to expel these students, and many were. Others were arrested and put in jail — some for 15 days, some are still there.

The international outcry against these actions from Europe and the United States was loud. Including economic and travel sanctions, many countries offered full scholarships to the hundreds of expelled students over the years so as to help them get about with their lives.

One such student is Mikola Ilin.

I met him along with Vitaly Moroz of Freedom House and Aleks Demchenko of Belarus.org.ua. At first we all met in a caf???? near Maidan, before moving on to a food court in the underground mall. Mikola was decked out in a jean outfit (symbolizing the attempted ???????denim revolution???????) and underneath wore a PORA t-shirt, the civic group that helped organize the Orange Revolution.

As we got acquainted, Mikola happily showed me pictures and video on his cell phone of the March protests; the thousands of people historically gathering to protest the dictator. He was very glad that someone was giving him an opportunity to have his voice heard, as his story is a compelling one that should be told. He could speak English here and there, but since Russian is the international language of the region, I had Vitaly translate for the sake of smoothness.

I asked him how long he had been a democracy activist for Belarus, and he told me that even though he is only 22 years old, ???????I was an activist since eleven years.??????? He believed in the cause, and even after all the things that had happened to him, he could still joke about it.

???????What is it that happened to you after the protests? I have been told that you were expelled from your university. What happened and how did they identify you? And what happened to you afterward????????

???????In fact I was dismissed not this year but before in 2005, in summer 2005 when 100 other students were expelled from university. I believe it was a mistake for Lukashenka because Europeans help these young activists and Lukashenka knows that these young people can go to Europe and it is bad for him.???????

I then asked him how he felt about the United States and Europe supporting the cause of democracy in Belarus, and he was ecstatic about it. He knows of the support and takes strength from it, even though others do not know of it.

???????It is very good when you know that someone can show you their support and it was great to know this. However, few Belarusians know that Europeans can suggest such support.???????

???????Why are you here in Ukraine instead of in your home country of Belarus???????? I asked him, already knowing what the answer had to be.

???????I am in Ukraine because if I were now in Belarus I would be in prison for five years. According to Belarusian law I offended three articles of law. The first one is to accuse the President of Belarus. The second is breaking the law on information. No one can share information to any other countries because it can be ???????misinformation.??????? Organization and participation in civic organization is another law. The third article is disobedience to police,??????? he said.

Mikola????????s initial joke had subsided to seriousness. He was speaking very intently about the subject. A despot had destroyed his life by decree and it had only made him more determined.

???????Now that you are outside of Belarus and in fear of returning to your home country, what do you hope to do for the future? Do you hope to continue pushing for democracy in the future???????? I asked.

???????Well, I was accepted to university in Estonia and I am living in Estonia. Ä???????Å The Estonian government provided ten Belarusian activists with scholarships, and I will stay here for studying. And in fact I am going to fight for freedom in Belarus even there. I have had a lot of conversations with civil servants and officials in Estonian government and with the head Äone of the NGOsÅ which deals with democratization and they have conferred to me that they are going to support democratic movements in Belarus.???????

???????I see myself as a person who will continue my struggle. My aim is to make sure that other countries will hear about Belarus. As far as everyone keeps silent, it is the best situation for Äthe Belarusian governmentÅ.???????

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