Marina Vasilievna Zolotova
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Marina Vasilievna Zolotova
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Marina has been the editor-in-chief of TUT.BY since 2004 and is known for her interest in Balkan culture and her knowledge of the Bulgarian language.
In 2019, she was fined in a criminal case under the article "inaction of an official" for accessing BelTA materials; human rights activists deemed the case politically motivated.
In May 2021, she was arrested on charges of tax evasion, but the charge was later dropped.
In October 2022, the KGB added Marina to its list of persons "involved in terrorist activity." She was later also charged with "inciting hatred" and "calls for actions against national security."
The trial was held behind closed doors and lasted more than two months, with 37 hearings in total. In March 2023, she was sentenced to a lengthy prison term.
On December 13, 2025, she was released after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, Keith Kellogg, and taken to Ukraine.
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
