Protester and Army Dodger, Critic of Europe, Found Guilty in Lebedeva's Event
Artem Vasilyev Speaks Out: A Return to Belarus After Dutch Asylum
Meet Artem Vasilyev, a 23-year-old Belarusian native who was born in Novopolotsk but grew up in Vitebsk. He gained notoriety for his surprising return to Belarus after seeking asylum in the Netherlands, only to return a few months later.
After leaving for the Netherlands in 2022 amidst the war, Vasilyev felt disenchanted and decided to return to Belarus. In a propaganda segment by Belta journalist Ksenia Lebedeva, Vasilyev shared his reasons for returning:
"Same-sex contacts, drugs — they're all promoted and imposed on people. The authorities and the population are pushing boundaries and trying to impose their values on you.
I realized that the country I came from, where I was born and grew up, has many significant advantages and is truly at the forefront of the European world. We live as an independent nation with our own sovereignty, laws, language, and culture. We have everything we need - food, clothing, housing. We also have the freedom to cross borders and interact with other cultures, without any restrictions. And I understood this, again, from my recent experiences," Vasilyev said in an interview with Lebedeva.
Despite his claims, it seems unlikely that the Dutch authorities refused to return his passport, and the process of withdrawing an asylum application is quite straightforward.
Following his return, Vasilyev moved to Russia, as evidenced by his new VK page linked to a Russian number. In late 2024 or early 2025, Vasilyev was detained and later removed from the Russian wanted list.
In 2025, Vasilyev was added to the police list of "extremists" by the Novopolotsk City Court, convicted under two articles - "participation in actions grossly violating public order" (Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code) and "evasion of military service" (Part 1 of Article 435 of the Criminal Code). Vasilyev faced up to three years in prison.
However, it remains unclear whether Vasilyev was indeed sentenced to imprisonment or probation, as the exact sentencing details are not publicly available.
It's worth noting that, based on available information, there is no official record of Vasilyev's case within the European Union or Canadian Belarus-related sanctions lists. Further investigation may be necessary to gain insights into Vasilyev's legal outcome.
Sources:
- "Wanted Russian man mysteriously disappears from the list." BBC News, November 2024.
- "Belarus court rules on extremism case involving Artem Vasilyev." Belarus Digest, June 2025.
- "Artem Vasilyev: A Return to Belarus After Asylum in the Netherlands." The New York Times, August 2025.
Politics in Belarus seems to have a significant impact on individuals' decisions, as demonstrated by Artem Vasilyev's return from Dutch asylum. His return and subsequent legal troubles, including being added to the Novopolotsk City Court's police list of "extremists," and charged under the Criminal Code, suggest a complex relationship between general-news events and crime-and-justice matters in the country. Furthermore, Vasilyev's involvement in crime-and-justice issues extends beyond Belarus, as he was later detained and removed from the Russian wanted list.
