Belarusian citizen Katsiaryna Bartko, an asylum seeker in the United States, remains in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Leavenworth Detention Center in Kansas. According to her partner, Dmitry Shishov, her legal team is preparing to file a federal habeas corpus petition, arguing that she is being denied essential medical treatment and seeking either her immediate release or access to adequate healthcare.Shishov shared an update in the Facebook group "Беларусы ў Бостане / Belarusians in Boston", where he said that a bond hearing took place on 22 July. According to his account, the immigration judge denied bond solely because of an alleged risk that Bartko might fail to appear at future proceedings, citing the couple's previous moves between U.S. states.At the same time, Shishov says the judge explicitly acknowledged that Bartko poses no danger to the public and that all of her previous criminal cases have been resolved.Allegations Regarding Her Political ActivityAccording to Shishov, government attorneys attempted before the hearing to portray Bartko's peaceful civic activism in Belarus as evidence of extremist or rebellious tendencies.He says the court rejected that argument, leaving only a procedural issue related to her former F-1 student visa status, which arose after she had already applied for asylum. Because the legal proceedings are ongoing, he declined to disclose further details.Shishov also urged other Belarusian asylum seekers in the United States to review, together with their attorneys, how their participation in Belarus' pro-democracy movement is described in their asylum applications. He warned that, in the current climate, certain wording could potentially be interpreted against applicants during immigration proceedings.Serious Concerns Over Medical ConditionAccording to her partner, Bartko is a thyroid cancer survivor. Following surgery, both her thyroid and parathyroid glands were removed, requiring her to take levothyroxine and calcium every day for the rest of her life.Shishov states that in June she was rushed to hospital three times within four days after failing to receive the medication she needs. He further claims that laboratory tests performed on 14 July showed a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level of 86.76, nearly twenty times the upper limit of the normal range, indicating severe uncompensated hypothyroidism.He warns that such a condition carries a real risk of myxedema coma, a rare but potentially fatal complication if left untreated.Shishov also alleges that the detention facility refused to provide Bartko's attorney with copies of her laboratory results, citing an internal "60-day corporate policy." According to him, only Bartko herself was given a copy while in detention.Federal Habeas Corpus Petition PlannedAccording to Shishov, Bartko's legal team is preparing to file a federal habeas corpus petition, seeking either her immediate access to appropriate medical treatment or her release from immigration detention.He has called on the public to continue sharing information about the case, contacting journalists, human rights organizations and elected officials, and supporting the legal effort financially.GoFundMe Campaign LaunchedShishov has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of Bartko's legal defence, medical treatment and possible release from detention.In the campaign description, he says Bartko fled Belarus after participating in the country's 2020 pro-democracy protests against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. According to him, she is affiliated with Belarusian opposition groups that the authorities have designated as "extremist." He argues that, if deported to Belarus, she faces arrest, politically motivated criminal prosecution and torture.The campaign reiterates that Bartko depends on lifelong hormone replacement therapy and calcium following thyroid cancer surgery. Shishov alleges that the privately operated detention facility, managed by CoreCivic, repeatedly failed to administer medication that had been prescribed by its own medical staff, resulting in several medical emergencies and hospitalizations.He further claims that hospital bills for emergency treatment—which he argues should legally be covered by ICE—have instead been sent to Bartko herself. He also alleges that detention officers discouraged her from making further inquiries about her medical care.According to the campaign, the funds raised will be used for:legal representation in her asylum and detention proceedings;medical expenses, including hospital bills;bond and other costs associated with securing her release from detention.Shishov states that if more money is raised than needed, the remaining funds will be donated to Americans for Immigrant Justice, a Miami-based non-profit organization providing legal assistance to immigrants held in ICE detention.How You Can HelpThose wishing to support Katsiaryna Bartko can:share information about her case on social media;draw the attention of journalists, human rights organizations and elected officials;contribute to the GoFundMe campaign supporting her legal defence, medical treatment and efforts to secure her release.Editor's note: This article is based on public statements made by Dmitry Shishov on Facebook and in a publicly available GoFundMe campaign. At the time of publication, Pahonia.net has not independently verified all of the claims or obtained comments from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), CoreCivic, or Bartko's legal representatives.