Marfa Rabkova is a human rights activist and coordinator of Viasna's Volunteer Service. She was detained together with her husband Vadzim Zharomski on the evening of September 17 and taken to the Minsk office of GUBAZIK (Interior Ministry’s Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption). Their apartment was searched, and equipment, personal money and belongings were confiscated.

Marfa Rabkova was told that she was being detained as part of a criminal case under Part 3 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code (training or other preparation of persons to participate in riots, or funding such activities).

On September 19, she was transferred from a detention center to pre-trial prison No. 1 in Minsk.

A number of international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a partnership of the World Organization Against Torture and FIDH), supported Marfa Rabkova and demanded her immediate release.

On February 11, Marfa Rabkova faced new criminal charges of “inciting social hostility to the government by a group of unidentified individuals” (Part 3 of Art. 130) and “involvement in a criminal organization” (Part 2 of Art. 285 of the Criminal Code).

In late November 2021, Rabkova wrote to her family to report that she was facing up to 20 years in prison on eleven charges.

On January 11, 2022, the case file consisting of 160 volumes was transferred to the prosecutor's office.

It is known, that Marfa experience health problems during her imprisonment in pre-trial detention center. She went faint at least twice (in June and July 2021). In August and December 2021, she got COVID-19, and also had symptoms of the disease in early 2022. 

In addition to this, Marfa suffers from constant abdominal pain and inflamed lymph nodes on her neck. The ultrasound examination was not performed until March 2022, and revealed fluid in the small pelvis in the result. This condition requires immediate further examination both by a surgeon and a gynecologist. Surgery may be needed. Also, Marfa Rabkova's teeth continue to decay and crumble. She is not allowed to visit the dentist for about 9 months already.

Marfa Rabkova not getting urgent medical aid in jail

The health of political prisoner and human rights activist Marfa Rabkova is seriously deteriorating; she needs urgent examination but is not receiving adequate medical care in jail.

 

 

The Observatory calls for urgent intervention in Marfa Rabkova's case

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH, has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus.

“Criminal prosecution of Viasna members is not related to their work,” authorities responded to the UN request

The website of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has published the official response of the Belarusian government to the request of four Special Rapporteurs on the search and detention of human rights defenders, NGO representatives, and independent media, which took place in July 2021.

Amnesty International: Write to demand urgent medical assistance for Marfa Rabkova

Amnesty International calls on its activists around the globe to write to the Belarusian authorities urging them to provide "adequate medical care" to the imprisoned member of Viasna Marfa Rabkova.