Elena Dmitrievna Pyrkh
Pyrkh Elena Dmitrievna participated in the persecution of political prisoners. All provocations by the administration of the correctional facility took place under her control. She was present at all searches in the cells of political prisoners, while displaying aggression, threatening and insulting female prisoners.
Forbidden objects, usually pills or needles, were planted in the cells of women who, in the opinion of the administration, needed to be punished, which Pyrkh then "found". After that, she took the prisoner to the regime department and wrote a report.
Another form of psychological pressure was "fire safety drills", when Pyrkh suddenly came to the detachment and demanded that all prisoners "take out" their things in an organized manner within 10 minutes. If the prisoners did not manage to complete this task within the specified time, everything started over again.
Pyrkh shouted, insulted and humiliated the prisoners. If she didn't like something, she could make the entire unit stand in the sun, rain or cold for several hours, during which time people had to read the internal regulations.
She often wrote reports on political prisoners, demanded that the regime for them be strengthened at commissions, including at commissions on penalties, insisted on placing them in a punishment cell instead of a reprimand, deprivation of a visit, a parcel, and so on.
These actions directly indicate assistance to the repressive policy of the Lukashenko regime in relation to those who do not support the government and violate the rights of prisoners to humane treatment.
Pyrkh Elena Dmitrievna participated in the persecution of political prisoners. All provocations by the administration of the correctional facility took place under her control. She was present at all searches in the cells of political prisoners, while displaying aggression, threatening and insulting female prisoners.
Forbidden objects, usually pills or needles, were planted in the cells of women who, in the opinion of the administration, needed to be punished, which Pyrkh then "found". After that, she took the prisoner to the regime department and wrote a report.
Another form of psychological pressure was "fire safety drills", when Pyrkh suddenly came to the detachment and demanded that all prisoners "take out" their things in an organized manner within 10 minutes. If the prisoners did not manage to complete this task within the specified time, everything started over again.
Pyrkh shouted, insulted and humiliated the prisoners. If she didn't like something, she could make the entire unit stand in the sun, rain or cold for several hours, during which time people had to read the internal regulations.
She often wrote reports on political prisoners, demanded that the regime for them be strengthened at commissions, including at commissions on penalties, insisted on placing them in a punishment cell instead of a reprimand, deprivation of a visit, a parcel, and so on.
These actions directly indicate assistance to the repressive policy of the Lukashenko regime in relation to those who do not support the government and violate the rights of prisoners to humane treatment.
List of repressed
- Associations
- Activists
- Parents of minors
She worked as a controller at the Sfera plant, which is part of the BelOMO holding.
Margarita has long been a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus. She was in the initiative group of Sergei Gaidukevich in the 2010 presidential elections, and in 2014 she ran for the Minsk City Council of Deputies from the party - naturally, she lost. After that, she did not appear in the public arena.
She was allegedly detained for her comments. Judging by the photos on social media, the woman has a child.
On September 11, 2023, the State Security Committee reported in a propaganda film that it had detained six people in Belarus on charges of collaborating with the "Security Service of Ukraine" and "preparing terrorist attacks." In the video, some of them appear beaten, some are led around in chains during investigative actions, and one of the detainees was filmed in a KGB pretrial detention center. As a result, three people, including Valentina, were charged under six articles of the Criminal Code at once, including "Treason" and "agent activity."
Valentina, according to pro-government media, together with Nikolai Losovsky, was picking up a package containing weapons and explosives, which had to be buried in the Mozyr district. They did not manage to complete the task, as they were detained.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
On November 27, 2023, Oksana was brought to administrative responsibility under Part 2 of Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. She was later placed in pretrial detention center No. 7.
In the summer of 2024, the spouses were convicted of "treason" (Part 1 of Article 356 of the Criminal Code). Dmitry was sentenced to twelve years in prison, and Oksana to eight years. The essence of the charges is unknown.
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.
- Associations
- Retirees
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.
- Associations
- Service sector
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".
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.
- Associations
- Service sector
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.
- Associations
- Students
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.
- Associations
- Parents of minors
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.
38-year-old illustrator. She quit her job at PL in a large IT company. Her colleagues were shocked and tried to talk her out of it — she decided to go home. She said she already had a certificate from the KGB about the donation paid in multiples for 2020. She was tired of being homeless. She was detained at the border.
According to the prosecution's version of events, which was voiced by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office, in 2021-2022, Natalia Levaya transferred cash and cryptocurrency in the total amount of at least four thousand and four hundred rubles (today this is about 1,275 euros) to bank accounts and virtual wallets "used by representatives of extremist groups, including armed ones, for example, the Kalinovsky Regiment". In addition, she was fined 1,000 basic units - almost the same amount that Natalia donated to initiatives and funds. This is the punishment requested by the state prosecution at the trial. The trial was held behind closed doors.
Marina Alekseenko is 40 years old. She is from Minsk, graduated from the Minsk State Linguistic University in 2008. After that, she worked as a translator, but in 2012 she got a job at the elite five-star Minsk hotel Crowne Plaza. In two years, she went from assistant sales manager to head of sales and marketing.
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.
