Оксана Шаляпина. Источник фото: spring96.org
Political prisoner and artist Aksana Shaliapina, 48, has been diagnosed with cancer at a prison in Homiel, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.
Shaliapina has been imprisoned for nearly a year and three months. According to human rights defenders, she currently spends most of her time in the prison’s medical unit. It is unknown whether she is receiving the necessary medical care.
In November 2025, the woman was sentenced to three years in prison under an article on facilitating “extremist” activities. The charge was based on her assistance to several dozen political prisoners while they were in detention. She was detained in June 2025.
Aksana Shaliapina graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and has been working in oil painting in the expressionist style since 2009.
In July 2026, human rights defenders reported that another political prisoner, Tatsiana Kolas, had been diagnosed with cancer. She also remains imprisoned.