Seeking sanctuary

For much of the Western public, Ukraine is a corrupt, impoverished nation where journalists get brutally murdered and human rights are poorly observed. But for three Belarusian citizens, who fled their homeland fearing political repression, Ukraine is a “paradise” where they can breathe the “air of freedom.” The three Belarusians – all high school history teachers from Homel – have asked Ukraine for political asylum, claiming persecution by Belarusian authorities for their opposition to the government of Aleksandr Lukashenko. Sergey Kornev, Vladimir Bukhanov and Svyatoslav Shapovalov entered Ukraine on July 15 when they crossed the border avoiding a checkpoint in Chernihiv oblast. The three requested political asylum at the Interior Ministry’s Department for Nationalities and Immigration on Aug. 9 after spending weeks in Kyiv trying to figure out the exact procedure for filing the request, according to Bukhanov. Bukhanov said he and his two colleagues were awaiting a decision from the DNI on Aug. 15.The three claim that they faced political persecution in their homeland.