Marfa Rabkova has not seen her husband Vadzim since the night of September 17, 2020, when around 10 masked men from the Main Department for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption violently detained the couple on their way back home, in Minsk. They were put in two different cars. While Vadzim was released the day after, Marfa was brought to the Okrestina pre-detention centre in Minsk, infamous for the torture and ill-treatment of protesters in August. She remains imprisoned on charges of “training persons for the participation in mass riots or financing such activities”.
The real reason for the detention of the 26-year-old is the crucial role she has played coordinating the volunteer service at Viasna (“Spring”), a leading human rights group in Belarus. Her charisma and team spirit caught the attention of many people, who ultimately decided to join the organisation as volunteers to ensure the respect of human rights in the country. Together with other members of the human rights community, Marfa guided the Viasna group of volunteers as they independently monitored the August 9, 2020 presidential elections.