Alla Sokolenko traveled to Belarus for cosmetic surgery but ended up in prison on fabricated espionage charges. The costs of legal defense and maintaining basic needs during her imprisonment left her family financially drained. коммунальные долги accumulated, and now she faces eviction.
My name is Alla Sokolenko. I am a citizen of Latvia.
The KGB arrested me in Belarus under a completely fabricated case. I was accused of “agent activity” – espionage. But I have never in my life had any connection to intelligence services or spying. I knew nothing about it. I came to Belarus for cosmetic surgery and ended up in a pre-trial detention center.
Of course, I did not admit guilt. In court, I received the maximum sentence under Article 358-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (“Agent Activity”) – seven years in prison. Latvian consular representatives were not allowed to see me, and my correspondence was restricted.
In December 2025, I was deported from Belarus together with other political prisoners. It was a moment of joy – finally, freedom! But soon I discovered that during the years of imprisonment, enormous debts had accumulated: bank obligations and коммунальные payments. My children paid most of the bills during my sentence, but in the last six months, they ran out of money – much had been spent on lawyers and supporting me in prison.
In Latvia, there is no legal status such as “repressed political prisoner.” That term belongs to Stalinist times. For the authorities here, I was simply absent for four years and ignoring my bills.
After my release, I wrote to the housing administration asking to arrange installment payments so I could repay the debt within a year. They replied that the debt had already been transferred to a pre-trial enforcement officer. Now the housing authority has filed a lawsuit seeking my eviction.
I honestly do not know what to do anymore. I am 60 years old. At this age, it is very difficult to find well-paid work. Before my imprisonment, I worked as an insurance broker, but over four years much has changed in the field, and I need time to retrain. Yet I do not have that time – the debt must be paid urgently.
I have already covered part of it thanks to a one-time payment from BYSOL, unfortunately, it was not enough. Of course, I am looking for work, but earning the required amount will take months – and I simply do not have months.
This is not my normal state. I have never lived in debt. But because of imprisonment, this is what happened. I sincerely ask for help in paying off the apartment debts.
Fundraising goal
€2500
To cover housing and utility debts accumulated during imprisonment.