Belarus Protest Leader Kolesnikova Sentenced To 11 Years

Maria Kolesnikova, one of the leaders of mass street protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last year, has been sentenced on to 11 years in prison, leading to an outcry from Western countries.

Kolesnikova, aged 39, had been detained after ripping up her passport to prevent Belarusian security forces from deporting her in a standoff at the Ukrainian border in September.

The musician-turned-politician became one of the faces of the mass opposition movement during the August 2020 presidential election, which the protesters say was rigged to extend Lukashenko’s grip on power.

Lukashenko, who has denied electoral fraud, has been in office in the former Soviet republic since 1994 and has faced fresh Western sanctions since launching a violent crackdown on his opponents.

A person standing in front of a mirror posing for the camera: Belarusian opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova attends a court hearing in Minsk© Reuters/BelTA Belarusian opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova attends a court hearing in Minsk

Kolesnikova and another senior opposition figure, Maxim Znak, were charged with extremism and trying to seize power illegally. Both denied wrongdoing and Kolesnikova called the charges absurd.

Znak was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Both prisoners will appeal the verdict, Znak’s lawyer told reporters.

The European Union denounced the verdict, while Britain’s foreign minister called it an assault on defenders of democracy.

“The EU deplores the continuous blatant disrespect by the Minsk regime of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Belarus,” the EU’s spokesperson said in a statement.