Alena Dzmitryyeuna Pyrkh
Penal Colony No. 4, Department of Correctional Institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Gomel Region and the City of Gomel. Employee of the penal department. Assistant to the duty assistant to the warden of the penal colony.
Elena Dmitrievna Pyrkh participated in the persecution of political prisoners. All provocations by the penal institution administration took place under her supervision. She was present during all searches of the political prisoners' cells, displaying aggression, threatening, and insulting female prisoners.
Prohibited items, usually pills or needles, were planted in the cells of women who, in the administration's opinion, needed punishment, and Pyrkh then "found" them. She then took the prisoner to the penal department and filed a report.
Another form of psychological pressure was "fire safety drills," when Pyrkh would suddenly appear in the unit and demand that all prisoners "take out" their belongings in an organized manner within 10 minutes. If the prisoners failed to complete this task within the allotted time, the process would begin again.
Pyrkh would shout, insult, and humiliate the prisoners. If she didn't like something, she would force the entire unit to stand in the sun, rain, or cold for several hours, during which time they would be required to read the prison rules.
She often filed reports on political prisoners and demanded stricter conditions for them at commission meetings, including insisting on solitary confinement in place of a reprimand, deprivation of visits, parcel delivery, and so on at punishment commissions.
These actions directly indicate complicity with the Lukashenko regime's repressive policies against those who do not support the government and violate prisoners' rights to humane treatment.
Penal Colony No. 4, Department of Correctional Institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Gomel Region and the City of Gomel. Employee of the penal department. Assistant to the duty assistant to the warden of the penal colony.
Elena Dmitrievna Pyrkh participated in the persecution of political prisoners. All provocations by the penal institution administration took place under her supervision. She was present during all searches of the political prisoners' cells, displaying aggression, threatening, and insulting female prisoners.
Prohibited items, usually pills or needles, were planted in the cells of women who, in the administration's opinion, needed punishment, and Pyrkh then "found" them. She then took the prisoner to the penal department and filed a report.
Another form of psychological pressure was "fire safety drills," when Pyrkh would suddenly appear in the unit and demand that all prisoners "take out" their belongings in an organized manner within 10 minutes. If the prisoners failed to complete this task within the allotted time, the process would begin again.
Pyrkh would shout, insult, and humiliate the prisoners. If she didn't like something, she would force the entire unit to stand in the sun, rain, or cold for several hours, during which time they would be required to read the prison rules.
She often filed reports on political prisoners and demanded stricter conditions for them at commission meetings, including insisting on solitary confinement in place of a reprimand, deprivation of visits, parcel delivery, and so on at punishment commissions.
These actions directly indicate complicity with the Lukashenko regime's repressive policies against those who do not support the government and violate prisoners' rights to humane treatment.
List of repressed
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Alesya, a mother of two and the wife of political prisoner Maxim Sergienko, was detained in a massive security raid in January 2024 targeting relatives of political prisoners and people who sent parcels and letters to prisoners.
On February 21, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Mogilev heard Alesya's case under Decree No. 7 "On Foreign Gratuitous Aid." Under this decree, those targeted by a mass investigation conducted in late January 2024 are being tried in Belarus. At the time, KGB officers were attempting to determine who received food aid from abroad through the activities of INeedHelp, an organization designated as a so-called "extremist organization."
In July 2024, Alesya was tried for "assisting extremist activity" and sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony.
On December 13, 2025, she was released following a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole, and taken to Ukraine.
She was detained on January 23, 2024, during a massive raid by security forces on the relatives of political prisoners and people who helped them.
On March 19, 2026, she was pardoned after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole (among a group of 235 prisoners left in Belarus).
- Associations
- Foreign citizens
- Parents of minors
Citizen of Ukraine from Chernigov. Sometimes she went to Belarus, and as a result she was detained. Natalya has two sons; the youngest was 2.5 months old at the time of his arrest. The trial took place behind closed doors. On March 12, 2024, the appeal was considered and the verdict entered into force.
On the evening of June 28, 2024, sudden information appeared about the release of five political prisoners from Belarusian colonies. The Ukrainian authorities achieved the release of their exchange citizens as prisoners. This is how Natalya Zakharenko, Pavel Kuprienko, Lyudmila Goncharenko, Ekaterina Bryukhanova, as well as Nikolai Shvets, a defendant in the “Machulishchi case,” were released. The terms of the exchange were not disclosed. It is noted that the Vatican took part in the liberation. The released political prisoners were brought to Ukraine on June 28 - their photo from the Zhulyany airport appeared in the media.
- Associations
According to propaganda legend, she “knocked on closed doors after the voting ended, and then forwarded the video to an extremist resource.”
Elena in a video on a pro-government channel says that she sent the video to a friend who lives abroad, and the further fate of the file is unknown.
Elena is originally from Mogilev, but studied in Minsk at the Faculty of Architecture of BNTU. She worked as an architect for some time, and then became an artist. She makes various jewelry and ceramic dishes, and also does calligraphy and painting.
Diana is a 34-year-old Brest resident. Works at EPAM and leads the testing team there. After the start of the war, she and her son, who is now 7 years old, went to Tbilisi. But at some point I decided to return to Belarus, although I traveled abroad from time to time.
On her Instagram there is a photo from Warsaw, which dates back to June 29, 2023, three days later a photo from Mir Castle was published. And then the girl disappeared from everywhere.
On May 3, 2024, the appeal was considered and the verdict came into force.
The mother of political prisoner and blogger Olga Tokarczuk (released in June 2022 after serving her sentence). She was detained during a massive security forces raid on January 23-24, 2024, targeting relatives of political prisoners and people who sent packages and letters to them.
On September 10, 2026, she was released , having fully served her sentence.
Natalia was detained during a massive security forces raid on January 23–24, 2024, targeting the relatives of political prisoners and those expressing solidarity with them. She was convicted in a criminal case opened under the article "assisting extremist activity."
She was released on March 20, 2026, as part of a pardon following another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole.
She was detained as a result of a massive raid by security forces on January 23-24, 2024 on relatives of political prisoners and people who sent parcels and letters to political prisoners.
On March 19, 2026, she was pardoned after another visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, John Cole (among a group of 235 prisoners left in Belarus).
- Associations
- Parents of minors
Victoria has three children, two of whom are minors (the youngest is 3 years old). Before the trial, she was on bail for her house.
After the verdict, she was taken into custody in the courtroom.
On 26.04.2024, the appeal was considered and the verdict came into force.
According to human rights activists, she will be released in the winter of 2024.
On April 2, 2024, an appeal hearing was held and the verdict came into force.
She was released after serving her full sentence.
- Associations
- Activists
- Foreign citizens
- Retirees
Galina Krasnyanskaya is 67 years old. She comes from Babruisk, probably from a military family - social networks indicate that she was born in the "military town of Kiselevichi". Once there was a large military garrison there and the school was created specifically for the children of the military. After school, she went to Minsk to study to be a chemist at the Belarusian Technological Institute (now BSTU). But after that, Galina worked in military units, if you believe her social networks. For example, from 1981 to 1986 in unit No. 48819, based in the pro-Soviet part of Germany - the GDR.
She probably moved to Sweden later. She must also have Swedish citizenship.
It is unknown when the woman returned to Belarus, but not earlier than spring 2023. The date of detention is also unknown. The article under which Galina is accused most often means a donation to Belarusian volunteers or to help Ukraine.
On June 21, 2025, Galina was released after a visit to Minsk by US President Donald Trump's special representative, Keith Kellogg, and was immediately taken to Lithuania.
Has a higher legal education (BSU). Worked in the consulting company Parada+partners.
According to human rights activists, she was released on January 9, 2025, having fully served her sentence as determined by the court.
