"When I learned about my parents' sentence, I fainted." A family from Minsk convicted of "treason" and "arms smuggling"

A family from Minsk received harsh sentences, charged with espionage, treason, and illegal arms trafficking, writes "Salidarnasts".

Dzmitry and Tatsiana Korsakau and their daughter Pelagiya were sentenced to 14, 12, and 11 years in prison, respectively, and ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 rubles.

As it turned out, the Belarusian regime is afraid of employees of kindergarten No. 518 — 57-year-old Tatsiana and 56-year-old Dzmitry, who have been held in pre-trial detention for more than 8 months. As well as their 27-year-old daughter Pelagiya. The girl was tried in absentia because she is in Ukraine.

Павялічыць

— "When I learned about my parents' sentence, I fainted," Pelagiya told "Salidarnasts." "Colleagues called an ambulance for me, saying that I suddenly turned pale and passed out. I was taken to the hospital directly from work. When I came to, the medics told me that my legs and arms had gone numb, and they feared I might have had a mini-stroke. But everything was fine. Now I'm home."

The girl cries as she talks about her parents.

— "They are the most peaceful and kind people. My mother worked as a kindergarten teacher in a nursery and was a tutor for children with autism. She raised more than one generation of children. I also once worked as a tutor in this kindergarten; we had an inclusive group. And my dad was a handyman at the kindergarten: painting benches, repairing furniture."

"Generally, dad is a jack-of-all-trades; besides this job, he did apartment renovations, doing everything very well, many people turned to him. Both mom and dad helped others their whole lives."

Павялічыць

Pelagiya herself, after participating in protests and hiding from repression, was forced to leave for Ukraine in 2021.

— "When the war started, I decided to stay here and help however I could. I have a job; I'm an SMM and graphic designer."

I also engage in volunteer activities; I am a coordinator for rapid response volunteers at impact sites. We are the first to arrive at rubble after missile attacks, board up windows in apartments with plywood, clear glass, and generally clean up apartments. We help the elderly, families with children, and all affected people in various locations. We also evacuate people and animals from dangerous zones.

Pelagiya always stayed in touch with her parents, never hid what she was doing, and sent them videos.

— "Of course, they were very worried about me, following the news in the areas where I was. Mom could call at 6 AM and ask how I was, if I had gone to a shelter, because our area was being shelled."

— How did you find out about your parents' arrest?

— "Last September, on the 26th, my dad called me and uttered a terrible message: 'I've been detained, mom had a stroke and is in the hospital, come, everything is very bad.' Then someone who didn't introduce themselves took the phone and continued: 'Your parents have been arrested, if you want us to release them, you must come.'"

In other words, they explicitly took them hostage and didn't even hide it. Later I found out that mom hadn't actually been hospitalized; it was a terrible manipulation.

I learned that they were taken, not even taken, but simply abducted from home when mom returned from work. They conducted a search, turned everything upside down, confiscated equipment, and took flash drives from the camera installed in the apartment.

After that call, for two weeks I literally couldn't eat, sleep, or work. What was especially terrifying was that I couldn't find out anything about mom and dad.

Pelagiya says that relatives from Belarus do not communicate with her; sometimes complete strangers convey some information about her parents.

— "I knew they were held in the KGB pre-trial detention center for six months, after which they were transferred to other detention centers. I also learned that my father started having serious health problems, even requiring hospitalization. Unfortunately, I don't know any details. My dad was never sick, he played sports, but he was kept in very bad conditions, which caused these problems. My mom has long had problems with blood pressure and knees. She constantly needed expensive injections, and I don't know if she currently has access to these medications."

A year and a half ago, the family saw each other for the first time in 4.5 years.

Павялічыць

— "I gave my parents a trip to Egypt for Christmas, and then I surprised them by coming myself. Those were wonderful days together. We swam, ate strawberries and mangoes, and enjoyed ourselves."

The girl considers the accusations against both herself and her parents to be completely absurd.

— "What weapons, what treason! Our only 'crime' is that I am in Ukraine, and we didn't lose touch; we called each other. And my parents worried about me. Based on this, it seems, the services unleashed their vivid imagination. I believe that those who are in Ukraine are mocked and blackmailed in a similar way."

"A couple of years ago, I received a strange call. A man also didn't introduce himself and said that my mother was in the hospital in critical condition, implying 'come urgently.' I immediately called mom; she was very surprised then and even joked: 'Pelagiya, don't interrupt my work, I have children all around me here.'"

• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 4
• 0