Veronika Tsepkalo
Veronika Tsepkalo | |
|---|---|
| Вероника Цепкало Вераніка Цапкала | |
 Tsepkalo in 2020 | |
| Born | 7 September 1976 |
| Citizenship | Belarus |
| Alma mater | Belarus State Economic University |
| Occupation(s) | Business manager, political activist |
| Spouse | Valery Tsepkalo |
| Children | 2 |
Veronika Valeryevna TsepkaloorVeranika Valereuna Tsapkala(‹See Tfd›Russian:Вероника Валерьевна Цепкало;Belarusian:Вераніка Валер’еўна Цапкала;born 7 September 1976) is a Belarusian political activist.
Early life
[edit]Tsepkalo's mother is Evgenia Shesterikova, sister is Natalya Leonyuk. Her grandfather Peter Shesterikov, was a writer, who has a street name inMogilevnamed in his memory.[citation needed]
In 1998, Tsepkalo graduated from the Faculty of International Relations of theBelarus State Universitywith a degree in International Relations. In 2004–2006 she studied at the Higher School of Management and Business of theBelarusian State Economic University.In 2008, she studied at the National Institute of Small and Medium Enterprises inHyderabad,India.[citation needed]
Tsepkalo works as a business development manager forMicrosoft.[citation needed]
2020 election activism
[edit]When Tsepkalo's husbandValery Tsepkalo(a former Belarusian ambassador to the United States) announced his participation in the2020 Belarusian presidential election,Tsepkalo accompanied him on his trips. On 14 July 2020, Valery was denied registration as a presidential candidate in Belarus. Soon after that, the three chief opposition candidates—Valery Tsepkalo,Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,andViktar Babaryka–united their campaigns. Since the unification of these campaigns, Veronica became her husband's representative at the campaign rallies of Tikhanovskaya, while Valery and his children left the country fearing for their safety.[1]In addition, throughout the campaign, Veronica was constantly under pressure from the government: from collecting information in the school where children study.[2]Her sister Natalia Leonyuk was summoned to testify against Valery Tsepkalo.[3]
On 30 July 2020, during a rally inMinsk,Veronica spoke about the personal affairs of her family, and cited the falsification of a criminal case against her mother, who at that time was already in a serious medical condition.[4]Fearing the loss of her freedom as a result of political persecution, she fled the country on the eve of the2020 Belarusian presidential election,joining her husband inMoscow.She cast her vote at the Belarusian embassy in Moscow.[5]
Following the riggedAugust 2020 presidential election,in which incumbent PresidentAlexander Lukashenkodeclared victory, Tsepkalo said that the "only legitimate President is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya" and called upon other countries to recognize Tikhanovsakaya as the legitimately elected president of Belarus.[6][7]
On 19 August 2020, it was reported that Tsepkalo was in Poland with her husband and children.[8]Tsepkalo and her family remain in exile in Poland.[7][9]
In the summer of 2024, the Belarusian authorities sentenced Veronika Tsepkaloin absentiato 12 years in prison.[10]
Awards
[edit]TheInternational Republican Institute(IRI) honored Tsepkalo with its John S. McCain Freedom Award (2020),[11]and its Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Award (2021); the latter award recognizes contributions to the advancement of women in politics and civil society.[12]She received the GermanLutherstadt'sDas unerschrockene Wort( "The intrepid word" ) prize (2021)[13]
In 2021, theEuropean Parliamenthonored the democraticBelarusian oppositionby collectively awarding it the 2020Sakharov Prize;Tsepkalo was one of the representatives of the honorees.[14]
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya,Maria Kolesnikova,and Tsepkalo were awarded the Csoklich Democracy Prize by theStyria Media Groupin 2021.[15]The same three Belarusian opposition leaders were awarded the International Association of Political Consultants Democracy Medal (2021),[16]and theCharlemagne Prize(2022).[17]
References
[edit]- ^"Вероника Цепкало в Речице рассказала, как правоохранительные органы занялись ее детьми".Tut.By(in Russian). 2020-07-26. Archived fromthe originalon 2021-05-07.
- ^"Вероника Цепкало рассказала, почему её муж и дети уехали в Россию"(in Russian). 2020-07-29. Archived fromthe originalon 2021-05-07.
- ^Калинина, Надежда (2020-07-30)."Сестру Вероники Цепкало опрашивали по заявлению Цепкало против бизнесмена Игдеджи".Tut.By(in Russian). Archived fromthe originalon 2021-05-09.
- ^Борисевич, Катерина; Зайцева, Анжелика (2020-07-31).""Хотели привязать ее к взрыву". Про какое уголовное дело мамы, плача, рассказала на митинге Вероника Цепкало ".Tut.By(in Russian). Archived fromthe originalon 2021-02-04.
- ^"Жена Валерия Цепкало покинула Белоруссию".Kommersant(in Russian). 2020-08-09.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-26.Retrieved2022-05-27.
- ^"Цепкало призвала другие страны признать Тихановскую законным президентом".RBK Group(in Russian). 2020-08-11.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-26.Retrieved2022-05-27.
- ^abLuke McGee (2020-09-08)."These three women stood up to Europe's longest-serving dictator. Here's what happened to them".CNN.
- ^PAP/jch/mf (2020-08-19)."Belarusian opposition figure Veronica Tsepkalo arrives in Poland".News & Politics.Polish Press Agency.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-26.Retrieved2020-09-08.
- ^"Belarus crackdown: opponents jailed or forced into exile".Agence France-Presse.2022-10-17.
- ^"Правозащитницу Ольгу Карач в Беларуси заочно приговорили к 12 годам тюрьмы".Lithuanian National Radio and Television(in Russian). 2024-07-09.
- ^"Secretary Pompeo Leads Celebration of Freedom at IRI's Annual Award Ceremony".International Republican Institute.2020-10-13.Retrieved2022-11-01.
- ^"IRI Celebrates the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Award Honorees".IRI.2021-09-27.Retrieved2022-11-01.
- ^"Lutherpreis" Das unerschrockene Wort ""(in German). Archytele. 2021-11-07.Retrieved2022-11-01.
- ^"Belarusian opposition receives 2020 Sakharov Prize".EU Affairs.European Parliament.2020-12-16.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-26.Retrieved2021-02-24.
- ^"Styria-Verlag honors Belarusian opposition leaders with the Fritz Csoklich Democracy Prize".Archytele. 2021-11-23.Retrieved2022-11-01.
- ^"International Association of Political Consultants Democracy Medal Presented to Women of Belarus at recent ceremony".International Association of Political Consultants. 2021-11-24.Retrieved2022-11-01.
- ^"Karlspreis 2022"(in German).Stiftung Internationaler Karlspreis zu Aachen.2022-05-26.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-26.Retrieved2022-05-26.
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