Alena Mikalayeuna Lazarchyk
- Associations
- Activists
- Parents of minors
An activist from the European Belarus movement was detained on December 30, 2021, in connection with a criminal case alleging group actions that grossly violated public order.
On January 7, 2022, the woman was transferred to a pre-trial detention facility.
Elena has a little son.
In January 2023, Elena was transferred to Gomel Women's Colony No. 4. For a long time, a lawyer was unable to see the political prisoner; she was placed in solitary confinement.
In October 2023, it became known that Elena's package had not been accepted in August. This likely indicates that she had been deprived of her packages. The last letter from Elena arrived in early September, and no letters have been received since. Since Lazarchik's transfer to the penal colony, the prison administration has not granted permission to meet with a lawyer. Elena's current situation and her current condition are unknown. Elena is experiencing dental problems in the colony and has lost weight.
In mid-November 2023, human rights activists learned that Elena had been placed in solitary confinement again.
According to the testimony of the former political prisoner, Elena served more than 90 days in a punishment cell and more than 60 days in a PKT .
In the spring of 2025, Elena was convicted under Part 2 of Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the lawful demands of the prison administration) and sentenced to an additional eighteen months in prison in addition to her eight years in prison. The date of the sentence is unknown. It is known that Elena refused legal representation at her trial.
On September 16, 2026, she was released after a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Lithuania.
How to write a letter
✏️ A postcard with words of encouragement (a poem by your favorite author, song lyrics, or a beautiful quote). Trust us, even such simple gestures are very meaningful to a person in jail.
✏️ Your life events. To a person who is in isolation for a long time, any story about your routine endeavors will be a window into normal life. Your day-to-day worries and mundane matters are much more interesting than the daily grind of life behind bars.
✏️ It is important to share news. Mention the most notable and interesting occurrences depending on your pen-pal's interests.
✍️️ Remember that every letter is censored. This means that your letters are read by strangers whose main goal is to limit inmates' access to information or to use it against the prisoners or even you.
So try to avoid:
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case
Involved in repression
