"In 2020, Maria Kolesnikova alongside activists Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo was a key figure in the Belarusian opposition, set against the country's strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko. During anti-government protests, Belarusian authorities detained Kolesnikova and took her to the Ukrainian border for expulsion. However, in the neutral zone, she broke away from security forces, ripped up her passport, making legal border crossing impossible, and fled on foot back to Belarus."
"She was subsequently charged with conspiracy to seize power, among other things, and sentenced to 11 years in prison. In mid-December, 2025, following international pressure and a US-brokered deal with Lukashenko, she was one of 123 political prisoners released from Belarusian prison. At least 1,100 political prisoners remain imprisoned. Today, the professional flautist lives in a friend's apartment in the German capital, Berlin, but says she's looking for her own place there. German authorities granted her political asylum and invited her to Germany,"
Maria Kolesnikova was a central figure in the 2020 Belarusian opposition and was detained during anti-government protests. Authorities attempted to expel her at the Ukrainian border, but she tore up her passport in the neutral zone and returned to Belarus on foot. She was charged with conspiracy to seize power and sentenced to 11 years in prison. In mid-December 2025 she was released under a US-brokered deal and relocated to Germany, where she received medical care and political asylum. She contracted a life-threatening condition in prison, spent months in isolation, and now lives in Berlin while seeking documents and housing.
Read at www.dw.com
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