Imprisoned Belarusian oppositionist Maryja Kalesnikava met her father for the first time in almost two years. Authorities have held her in full isolation since February 2023. “I feel great relief,” wrote the leader of the Belarusian opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who showed a photo of them together. This photo is the first to feature Kalesnikawa in over a year.
The source of the information is a Telegram channel belonging to former opposition and currently pro-government blogger Raman Pratasiewicz, who claims to act as an intermediary between the authorities and Belarusians living abroad.
“I am extremely relieved that Marya Kalesnikava has been allowed to meet her father. She was held in solitary confinement for over 600 days, starved and isolated from her family. Now we must keep up the pressure to break the isolation of other political prisoners and release them all!” – wrote the leader of the Belarusian opposition on the X website Swiatlana Tsikhanouskayapublishing a photo of the oppositionist with her father.
The independent portal Nasza Niwa reported, concluding from the photo, that the meeting took place in a prison hospital. The portal noted that it is not known whether Kalesnikawa is in the hospital for treatment or whether she was just brought there for a meeting.
Kalesnikava was last allowed to meet her father in December 2022. Since February 2023, the oppositionist has been kept in complete isolation, along with her relatives and organizations human rights reported that her relatives were unable to obtain any information about her. A lawyer was not allowed to visit her, and parcels were not collected.
During a recent interview with Alexander Lukashenko, the matter was raised by BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg. The Belarusian leader denied there was any ban and tried to argue that Kalesnikava was treated the same as “a million” other prisoners and her family could meet her.
A leading Belarusian oppositionist
Maryja Kalesnikava was one of the leading figures on the staff of banker Viktar Babaryka, who intended to run in the 2020 presidential elections as Lukashenko's rival. When Babaryka was detained and imprisoned, Kalesnikava joined the team of opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
After the rigged elections, security officers took Kalesnikawa to the border, intending to force her to leave the country. The activist tore her passport and was then detained and imprisoned. A year later, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison, among others. for “anti-state collusion and extremism”.
Main photo source: x.com/Tsihanouskaya