Veronika Tsepkalo

Veranika Tsepkala
Вераніка Валер’еўна Цапкала Вероника Валерьевна Цепкало
Born	Mahilioŭ, Belarussian SSR, Soviet Union
Citizenship	Belarus
Alma mater	Belarus State Economic University
Occupation	Business manager, political activist
Spouse(s)	Valery Tsepkalo
Children	2

Veranika Tsapkala (Belarusian: Вераніка Цапкала; born 7 September 19??^{[citation needed]}) or Veronika Tsepkalo (Russian: Вероника Цепкало) is a Belarusian political activist.

Early life[]

Tsepkalo's mother is Evgenia Shesterikova, sister is Natalya Leonyuk. Her grandfather Peter Shesterikov, was a writer, who has a street name in Mahilioŭ named in his memory.^{[citation needed]}

In 1998 Tsepkalo graduated from the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarus State University with a degree in International Relations. In 2004-2006 she studied at the Higher School of Management and Business of the Belarusian State Economic University. In 2008, she studied at the National Institute of Small and Medium Enterprises in Hyderabad, India.^{[citation needed]}

Tsepkalo works as a business development manager for Microsoft.^{[citation needed]}

2020 election activism[]

When Tsepkalo's husband Valery Tsepkalo announced his participation in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, Tsepkalo accompanied him on his trips. On July 14, 2020, Valery was denied registration as a presidential candidate in Belarus. Soon after that, the headquarters of the opposition candidates united their campaigns - Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Valery Tsepkalo, Viktor Babariko. Since the unification of these campaigns, Veronika 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, Veronika 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 July 30, 2020, during a rally in Minsk, Veronika 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 the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, joining her husband in Moscow. She cast her vote at the Belarusian embassy in Moscow.^[5]

Following the August 9 election where incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko declared victory amid allegations of fraud, Tsepkalo called on other countries to recognize Tikhanovsakaya as the legitimately elected president of Belarus.^[6]

On 19 August 2020, it was reported that Tsepkalo was in Poland with her husband and children.^[7]

On 8 September, it was reported that Tsepkalo was in Ukraine.^[8]

References[]