On January 30th , Aliaksandr Kuvannikau, a member of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union (BNP), passed away. He went to Poland because of possible political persecution and lived in Bydgoszcz. In 2020 he was the only one who went on strike at the Hrodna tobacco factory. His friends reported his death and wrote in chat rooms of Belarusians abroad.
Alexander is survived by his wife Zhanna and four children abroad, his mother in Belarus.
"Now Zhanna is facing a number of difficult tasks related to the funeral. Perhaps the body will be transported to Belarus. There is no exact information about his death yet," his friend wrote.
You can help the family by following the link.
Aliaksandr Kuvannikau worked as an equipment cleaner at Hrodna tobacco factory. On November 14, 2020, he informed the management that he was joining the strike. Out of 150 protesters at the factory, he was the only one who joined the strike. Six days later, he was fired under article for failure to fulfill his labor duties. In 2021, Belarusian law enforcers were looking for him - they came to his 62-year-old mother.
Alexander was interested in tea - some Hrodna residents may remember his tea parties in the then cafe "Portal". Among informals he was known as "Sasha Punk".