Candidate of Historical Sciences, adjunct of the Historical Institute of the University of Wroclaw. Melnikov specialized in military history and the history of the period of Western Belarus as part of Poland (1921-1939). He published a dozen and a half books on the topic of Western Belarus. In 2020, he was awarded the L. Sapieha Prize for the preservation of the historical heritage of Belarus.
It is known for sure that he was arrested and is being held in a pretrial detention center. Melnikov's last activity on Instagram dates back to January 21, 2024.
Melnikov is being tried for an interview he gave to an unnamed independent media outlet in 2022. The trial is being held in open mode. An excerpt from the indictment was quoted by SB:
"In 2022, Igor Melnikov, motivated by national hatred and discord, as well as political and ideological hatred, knowingly knowing about the extremist activities of participants in an information resource banned in Belarus, gave them an interview in order to develop and popularize media of this kind and involve more citizens in such activities," the prosecutor said. It is noted that the historian gave comments to the media both in Belarus and in Poland. Melnikov reportedly pleaded guilty
4 years of imprisonment in a penal colony under general regime conditions.
✏️ 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.
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case
To ensure that none of political prisoners are left without attention and support the site has a function of verified sendings.
Please attach a photo or a screenshot for transfer verification. The new transfer will be posted on the site as soon as it is verified by the moderator!
You can upload an image from the support event, and after passing moderation we will publish it.
Do you want to help a released political prisoner? Send your contact to Telegram and we will contact you.
In view of the critical human rights situation in Belarus and the violation of fundamental articles of the UDHR, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other international instruments.
A Keeper means you want to regularly help a specific person in prison through their family. Choose a political prisoner and click «Become a Keeper», our team will contact you shortly.
You can request the letters that we have in storage, for this, leave your telegram account for feedback, we will contact you and, after verifying your identity, we will transfer the archive with your letters.
Briefly write the most critical information.
Please leave your contact in Telegram.
Are you a relative or someone close to a political prisoner? Send us a short description and your Telegram contact for feedback. After data verification we will publish your relative on the website.
Do you have information about administrative prosecution? Please send us a short description and your Telegram contact for feedback. After checking the data, we will publish your information on the site.
Please leave your Telegram contact and ad description. After moderation your ad will be published on the site.
Please leave your contact on Telegram and describe your skills in as much detail as possible. After moderation, your CV will be published on the website.
The answer will appear on the website if such a question has not been asked before. Please read the section before you ask your question.
Are you a representative of an organization or initiative and would like to support our statement? Just fill out the contact form below.
Multi upload allows you to send confirmations with one photo to several political prisoners at once, check the selected people before sending!
Please attach a photo or a screenshot for transfer verification. The new transfer will be posted on the site as soon as it is verified by the moderator!
Please complete the questionnaire to enter the first stage of an interview to determine your individual needs.
