Marfa Rabkova

Marfa Rabkova (Belarusian and Russian: Марфа Рабкова; born 6 January 1995) is a Belarusian human rights activist and part of the Viasna Human Rights Centre. In 2020 she was arrested by the Belarusian authorities for her activism and sent to the pre-trial prison SIZO No. 1. In 2021 she was awarded the Homo Homini Award together with three other arrested Belarusian human rights activists.

Marfa Rabkova
Марфа Рабкова
Born (1995-01-06) 6 January 1995
NationalityBelarsian
CitizenshipBelarusian
OrganizationViasna Human Rights Centre
Known for2021 imprisonments

Biography

Marfa (Maria) Rabkova was born in 1995.[1] She attended the Belarusian State Pedagogical University but was forced to withdraw after being detained on a march near a university building.[2] She then enrolled at the A. Kuleshov Mogilev State University but claimed that she was unable to complete her studies and find a job due to pressure from the authorities.[2] In 2017 she entered the European Humanities University in Vilnius, Lithuania.[2] In 2019 she became a manager of the volunteers' network of Viasna Human Rights Centre in Belarus.[2]

In 2020 Rabkova volunteered with the Viasna Human Rights Centre over the course of the 2020 Belarusian presidential election.[3] At the start of the mass protests, she began to document evidence of torture and abuse by the Belarusian authorities.[3] She was detained on 17 September 2020.[1] On 19 September 2021 she was transferred to SIZO No. 1 in Minsk.[1] Several Belarusian human rights groups recognized her as a political prisoner.[1] International human rights organizations Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders demanded her immediate release.[1] Bundestag member Agnieszka Brugger became her "godfather".[4] In the pre-trial prison her health worsened; she complained about abdominal pain, tooth pain, and inflammation of the lymph nodes but did not get adequate medical treatment.[5] According to her husband, she lost 20kg in prison, contracted COVID-19, and started to experience fainting and low blood pressure.[6] She also wasn't allowed to attend her father's funeral.[6]

Initially, Rabkova was charged under article 293 of the Criminal Code (part 3, "Training or other preparation of persons for participation in mass riots, or financing of this activity").[1] On 11 February 2021 she was charged with two other articles — 130 ("Incitement to hatred") and 285 (part 2, "Participation in a criminal organization").[1] Based on these charges, she faced the possibility of being imprisoned for up to 12 years.[1]

In 2021 Rabkova was awarded the Homo Homini Award together with three other arrested Belarusian human rights activists.[7]

On September 6, 2022, Rabkova was sentenced to 15 years in a general-security penal colony and a fine of 22,400 Belarusian rubles (more than $8,800). On February 28, 2023, the Supreme Court changed the final sentence for Rabkova into 14 years and 9 months of imprisonment in a general-security penal colony.[8]

References
  1. "Marfa Rabkova, human rights activist, coordinator of Viasna's Volunteer Service". Viasna Human Rights Centre. Archived from the original on 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  2. "Переживала, что "недоученная". Студенческий путь Марфы Рабковой". Viasna Human Rights Centre (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  3. "Требуем немедленного освобождения политзаключенной, правозащитницы ПЦ "Весна" Марфы Рабковой". Viasna Human Rights Centre (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  4. "Bundestagsabgeordnete übernehmen Patenschaften für Marfa Rabkova, Raman Bahnavets und Stanislau Mikhailau" (in German). Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  5. "Amnesty International: Потребуйте начать лечение правозащитницы Марфы Рабковой, которой в СИЗО отказывают в медпомощи". Viasna Human Rights Centre (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  6. "Правозащитница год в тюрьме: история Марфы Рабковой". Deutsche Welle (in Russian). 2021-09-22. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  7. "Находящиеся под стражей белорусские правозащитники награждены премией Homo Homini". Naviny.by (in Russian). 2021-05-11. Archived from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  8. "Marfa Rabkova". Viasna Human Rights Centre.
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