Valentin (name changed) says that he cleaned his phone before the trip to Belarus. But, apparently, not completely. In one of the chats, a link to a post from the Nexta Telegram channel remained, which the security forces found. They also checked the «Search» field in the same messenger—the contact «Bypol» remained in the history, although the Belarusian cleaned up the correspondence and deleted the chat with the organization.
— The employee said: «You are not going anywhere, take your things out,» — Valentin recalls. — A police car arrived, and they took me to the police station. There they took my second phone and laptop. They began to draw up an administrative case for reposting extremist materials.
In addition, they saw my correspondence with a girl of an intimate nature. We sent each other photos, and although it was private, they (the security forces) opened a criminal case for the distribution of pornography.
The man was registered in the temporary detention center of one of the regional cities. The next day he was taken to a polygraph. Valentin says that the officer accompanying him did not introduce himself and was in civilian clothes. The Belarusian was put on a chair, sensors were put on him, and they began to ask questions. They were interested in whether he participated in the protests, what exactly he was doing there, who he voted for, whether he had connections with the opposition, and why he corresponded with BYPOL.
— When everything was over, I was returned to the temporary detention center. I don’t remember, I sat there for two or three days, — he recalls. — Then they took me to the office, where I met with a KGB officer. He said that the polygraph did not confirm my words about the opposition. Like, to the question of whether I had any connections with them, I answered: «No,» but the lie detector showed the opposite. He talked about BYPOL, the distribution of pornography, and then summed up: «Your affairs are bad.» Like, I will be charged with complicity in terrorism (in August 2022, «Bypol» was recognized as a terrorist organization). He said, like, now we are going to Minsk and we will decide there what to do with you next. At the same time, he saw my passport and Schengen visas. He offered: «You can get out on bail by signing an agreement to cooperate with the KGB. And we will close all the cases.» I understand that there is a chance to break free. I ask: «What needs to be done?» He answers: «You need to infiltrate the opposition that is in Poland.»
Later, the special service officer announced the details.
Valentin needed to write to the members of the Coordination Council, introduce himself as a businessman, make a donation and «start a dialogue.» The KGB even promised to allocate funds if necessary. He was not told why he needed to infiltrate. The Belarusian suggests that the security forces wanted to know what the opposition was preparing for the 2025 presidential election.
— I decided: I will sign a paper on cooperation, but I will not do anything, just to leave, — says the man. — Then they take me back to the cell, and the next day they release me.
The businessman was released with a special call sign. A special service curator was also assigned to him.
After his release, Valentin bought a new phone and contacted a KGB representative on Telegram, as they asked. He notes that it was necessary to establish contact, otherwise he would not have been allowed out of the country.
— I informed the employee that I was going on the road. He: «Okay, we will give you the following instructions later,» — says the interlocutor.
When he was on the border with Poland, he realized that his Belarusian passport was expiring in a few months. It was possible to get off the bus right there. But the man says that he didn’t think to do it at that moment.
— Besides, there were things to do. It was not possible to stay, — the man explains.
The curator’s message from the KGB was not long in coming. But there was no talk of a letter to the Coordination Council.
Another task appeared. For example, to run up to the address where local Belarusians meet and see who goes there.
According to Valentin, he stalled for time, explained that he had come, but it was closed. But he was asked to visit again. As a result, he went, but, he assures, he did not give any names to the special services.
— I realized that I couldn’t last that long. But I needed to return to Belarus again, — he describes.
Time was running out, so he had to go back in a month and a half. Before returning to Belarus, Valentin asked the curator if he could come, he did not object. In addition, the interlocutor notes, the KGB officer kept his word and the pornography case against him was closed.
When Valentin was in Belarus, the KGB officer offered to meet. The man agreed.
— We sat in a cafe, talked. He was very polite. He came with some kind of official, — says the Belarusian. — They had questions… Like, you understand, sanctions, the country is surrounded, and they were more interested in how to import some goods from abroad into Belarus, what payments, transactions, how it can be circumvented. They didn’t ask about the opposition. And what to ask, I was not involved in politics. So they specifically needed to carry out some tasks.
As soon as the new passport was ready, the man immediately left for Europe, in fact, one way. He says that he deleted all correspondence with the KGB officer and blocked him while already abroad.
— They wrote and called me from other numbers. I didn’t pick up—I understood that it was them, and I blocked them. Then the calls stopped. They didn’t try to contact me for long, — he explains and adds that he was very worried about what was happening.
Valentin says that he took such a step as a last resort and does not believe that it was cooperation with the KGB.
— I didn’t pass anything like that, — he claims. — I just did it to stall for time, to have time to return a second time and resolve personal issues.