Veronika Tsepkalo

Veranika Tsapkala (Belarusian: Вераніка Цапкала) or Veronika Tsepkalo (Russian: Вероника Цепкало) was born on September 7 in Mahilioŭ. Her 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.

Veronika Tsepkalo Veranika Tsepkala
Вероника Валерьевна Цепкало Вераніка Валер’еўна Цапкала
Born	Mahilioŭ, Belarussian SSR, Soviet Union
Alma mater	Belarus State Economic University
Occupation	Business manager, political activist

In 1998 she 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.

She works as a business development manager for Microsoft.

Political Activism

When Veronica Tsepkalo's husband Valery Tsepkalo announced his participation in the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, Veronika 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] and sister - Natalia Leonyuk was summoned ot testify against Valery Tsepkalo.[3]

On July 30, 2020, during a rally in Minsk, Veronika spoke about the personal tragedy of her family - 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]

References

1. Вероника Цепкало в Речице рассказала, как правоохранительные органы занялись её детьми
2. Вероника Цепкало рассказала, почему её муж и дети уехали в Россию
3. Сестру Вероники Цепкало опрашивали по заявлению Цепкало против бизнесмена Игдеджи
4. «Хотели привязать её к взрыву». Про какое уголовное дело мамы, плача, рассказала на митинге Вероника Цепкало
5. Жена Валерия Цепкало покинула Белоруссию
6. Цепкало призвала другие страны признать Тихановскую законным президентом