Political prisoners

On November 27, 2023, Oksana was charged with administrative offences under Part 2 of Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offences. She was later placed in Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 7.

In the summer of 2024, the couple was convicted of "treason" (Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code). They were sentenced to 12 and 8 years in prison for "treason," but in fact, for photographing a train with military equipment on the platform without any espionage intent.

Elena Toporkova is 54 years old. She graduated from the Belarusian State Polytechnical Academy (now BNTU).

Elena was likely detained during a raid on those in solidarity with political prisoners that took place at the end of January 2024.

People caught in the raid on those in solidarity with political prisoners, which took place from January 23 to 24, say that the number of those who were subject to criminal cases may be much higher than human rights activists know. Completely non-public people simply made transfers or sent parcels to political prisoners from their own funds.

She was detained for helping political prisoners on January 23, 2024, after which Elena was released, but was detained again in April of the same year and placed in a pre-trial detention center.

Natalia Zhigar's case is allegedly related to her support for people held in pretrial detention. Before retirement, she worked in the Brest Court office.

Before the trial, the woman was under house arrest.

The case was heard in the Grodno Regional Court. It was initially sent back for revision .

Judge Valery Romanovsky began hearing Natalia's case on August 19, 2024, and hearings continued on September 20, 24, and 30.

On December 27, 2024, the Supreme Court heard Natalia's appeal.

Sandalyuk Angela, together with her husband, was convicted in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Minsk under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code (organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them). On August 6, 2024, the case was heard by Judge Zhivitsa Elena.

On October 11, 2024, the Minsk City Court considered the appeal. Chairman of the Judicial Collegium Rudenko Alexander Anatolyevich.

On November 27, 2024, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Minsk considered a new case against a married couple under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code (organization and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them). This time, Dmitry Karsyuk was appointed to judge.

On February 7, 2025, the Minsk City Court considered the appeal. The chairperson of the judicial panel was Anastasia Pavlovna Popko.

Alina was convicted in July 2024 under the articles "participation in an armed group or armed conflict on the territory of a foreign state" and "financing the activities of an extremist group."

Human rights activists are unaware of the sentence or the nature of the charges, but in Belarus, the first article is typically used for prosecution for supporting Ukraine in the war. For such a donation, she could have been sentenced to five to ten years in a penal colony.

Alesya was detained for providing financial assistance to political prisoners.

In 1992 , she graduated from the Belarusian State Medical University with a degree in General Medicine. At first, she worked as a doctor in various hospitals, and in 2003, she completed her studies to become a pediatrician. In 2006, she also completed her studies to become a dermatologist and cosmetologist. She has the first qualification category. In recent cities, she worked in private medical centers "Sedmoe Nebo", "Mark Estetik" and "Medovenyu".

Tatyana Frantskevich and Natalya Lobatsevich were detained on July 19, 2024, when Tatyana was summoned to the Investigative Committee to sign a pledge not to leave the city of Polotsk, and Natalya went with her to support her.

A criminal case was opened against Tatyana Frantskevich, the mother of convicted anarchist Alexander Frantskevich, and her sister Natalia Lobatsevich, the mother of former political prisoner Ilya Lobatsevich, and they were placed in a pretrial detention facility in Vitebsk.

Tatyana Frantskevich and Natalya Lobatsevich were detained on July 19, 2024, when Tatyana was summoned to the Investigative Committee to sign a pledge not to leave the city of Polotsk, and Natalya went with her to support her.

A criminal case was opened against Tatyana Frantskevich, the mother of convicted anarchist Alexander Frantskevich, and her sister Natalia Lobatsevich, the mother of former political prisoner Ilya Lobatsevich, and they were placed in a pretrial detention facility in Vitebsk.

29-year-old native of the Mogilev region. Victoria studied at Nesvizh Pedagogical College. For the last ten years I have worked in communication shops, at a gas station, and in a store.

On May 15, 2023, ONT released the propaganda film “Killer Package” of Death: Who and How Wanted to Commit a Terrorist Attack on Victory Day,” which told the details of the case. It was reported there that allegedly the KGB, on the eve of Victory Day on May 9, 2023, “prevented a terrorist attack under the supervision of Kiev." They said that the explosives were in electric stoves, which were sent to the detainees via parcels. The organizer of the action was named 23-year-old Belarusian Valery Vodin, who fought in Ukraine.

The video said that parcels with electric stoves containing explosives were delivered to the Minsk SDEK point in Kamennaya Gorka on March 21, 2023 from Kyiv via Italy. Victoria Volchek confirmed during interrogation that she received the parcel - Valery Vodin asked her to receive the parcel. BSU student Anna Savochkina and her mother Tatyana Rusak took the tile from Volchek and buried it in the cemetery in Kolodishchi. The second tile was picked up by dental technician Andrei Grigoriev and taken to the gardening partnership "Avtoremontnik 124" near Olekhnovichi.

On May 15, 2023, ONT released the propaganda film “Killer Package” of Death: Who and How Wanted to Commit a Terrorist Attack on Victory Day,” which told the details of the case. It was reported there that allegedly the KGB, on the eve of Victory Day on May 9, 2023, “prevented a terrorist attack under the supervision of Kiev." They said that the explosives were in electric stoves, which were sent to the detainees via parcels. The organizer of the action was named 23-year-old Belarusian Valery Vodin, who fought in Ukraine.

The video said that parcels with electric stoves containing explosives were delivered to the Minsk SDEK point in Kamennaya Gorka on March 21, 2023 from Kyiv via Italy. 29-year-old Victoria Volchek confirmed during interrogation that she received the parcel - Valery Vodin asked her to receive the parcel. BSU student Anna Savochkina and her mother Tatyana Rusak took the tile from Volchek and buried it in the cemetery in Kolodishchi. The second tile was picked up by dental technician Andrei Grigoriev and taken to the gardening partnership "Avtoremontnik 124" near Olekhnovichi.

On May 15, 2023, ONT aired a propaganda film, "A Killer Parcel of Death: Who and How Wanted to Commit a Terrorist Attack on Victory Day," which told the details of the case. It was reported that the KGB allegedly "prevented a terrorist attack under the supervision of Kiev" on the eve of Victory Day on May 9, 2023. They said that the explosives were in electric stoves that were sent to the detainees via parcels. The organizer of the action was named as 23-year-old Belarusian Valery Vodin, who fought in Ukraine.

The video said that parcels with electric stoves containing explosives were delivered to the Minsk SDEK point in Kamennaya Gorka on March 21, 2023, from Kiev via Italy. 29-year-old Viktoria Volchek confirmed during interrogation that she had received the parcel — Valery Vodin had asked her to receive the parcel. BSU student Anna Savochkina and her mother Tatyana Rusak took the stove from Volchek and buried it in a cemetery in Kolodishchi. The second stove was taken by dental technician Andrei Grigoriev and taken to the gardening association "Avtoremontnik 124" near Olekhnovichi.

Anna Savochkina completed three courses of the Faculty of Economics at BSU, but since September 2022 she has been enrolled in the first year of the Faculty of Biology at BSU, group leader. Before the institute, she graduated from the I.O. Akhremchik Gymnasium-College of Arts, majoring in music. Detained along with her mother.

Lyudmila Deineko is 40 years old. In 2005, she graduated from Polotsk State University with a degree in jurisprudence. First she worked in the internal affairs department of the Minsk regional executive committee, then in the justice department of the Minsk city executive committee, and as a consultant in the court of the Zavodsky district of Minsk.

The trial begins on July 22. Deineko is accused of “calling for sanctions,” “insulting Lukashenko,” and “inciting hostility or discord.”

Lyudmila has two minor children.