Palina Sharenda-Panasyuk Calls To Save Viktoryja Kulsha

The political prisoner is on the brink of life and death.

Former political prisoner, activist of the "European Belarus" civil campaign Palina Sharenda-Panasyuk called for saving Viktoryja Kulsha, who was supposed to be released on April 6:

— Viktoryja Kulsha has declared an indefinite hunger strike since being placed in Homel's pretrial detention center #3! This is her sixth hunger strike during her imprisonment, and this time - until the end: either we achieve her release, or she will die.

What is happening to Viktoryja can only be called a murder! The occupation regime has already fabricated the fifth criminal case against her, and she is to be tried for the fourth time on politically motivated charges under the infamous Article 411 ("disobedience to the administration of the colony"). This is simply a monstrous torture of a person, the junta's revenge on an unyielding woman.

Before I was released in February 2025, I saw Viktoryja Kulsha in Colony #24. She looked like a living corpse: pale skin, severe exhaustion, barely moving, her face was strongly swollen. I knew that due to previous hunger strikes and terrible torment in endless punishment cells, she had serious problems with her heart, kidneys, and reproductive system - even bleeding! And in this condition, on January 8, 2025, she was again thrown into punishment cells for 60 days, where she was simply tortured with cold, deliberately not closing the window in her cell in winter. And water was running down the walls of the "renovated" cell... At the same time, an operative from the penal colony #24 Dzmitry Samanchuk, without leaving his warm office, was committing an official crime, fabricating a new "criminal case" against Viktoryja under Article 411.

But Viktoryja Kulsha may simply not live to see this "trial"! She continues to fight and refuses any cooperation with the junta, be it admitting guilt, betraying activists, or misinforming the public with "repentant" videos. This is her fundamental choice. I know that over the years of imprisonment, Viktoryja has declared hunger strikes several times, some of which ended in hospitalization. Protesting against lawlessness, Kulsha tried to commit suicide three times, to which the regime responded with solitary confinement and punitive psychiatry.

Back in the colony, Viktoryja told me that in the event of a new charge, she would declare a hunger strike again and this time she would go to the end. I know that despite the regime's concealment of information about Viktoryja Kulsha's condition, she is in a critical psychological and physical state. Endless trials, transfers and long months in solitary confinement have brought her to the brink of life and death. This time, Viktoryja has made a principled decision to go all the way. Knowing her integrity, this sounds like a death sentence, because if she is sent to Lukashenka's concentration camp again, they will finish her off there!

Viktoryja Kulsha may become the first female political prisoner to die in Lukashenka's dungeons! Her probable death will certainly be on the conscience of the occupation regime, its executioners and every collaborator! But this murder may happen before our eyes! Will we allow it?! The liberation of Belarus is impossible without the release of individual heroes of the Belarusian resistance!

I am asking the Belarusian and international community, politicians, diplomats, deputies and journalists to do everything possible to save Viktoryja Kulsha!

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com