A Belarusian female political prisoner, Iryna Melkher, was born in 1955. She was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment in a penal colony, and her son Anton was also condemned. Firstly, Anton was detained while Iryna was not at home at that time. When the woman went to search for her son, she returned home under the escort of forensic investigators. She was taken into custody.
During her imprisonment, the woman experienced health problems. Iryna was transferred to a cell where her sleeping place was on the highest tier of the bunk bed. She couldn’t reach her sleeping place by herself, so she needed the help of her cellmates. Due to kidney problems, she had to use the toilet at night. Iryna managed to go down by herself, but she couldn’t climb back up, so she would sit and wait until someone woke up to help her.
Iryna was also placed in solitary confinement (SHIZO). Her health worsened after it also.
Iryna Melkher used to work as an individual entrepreneur at the Brest market.
