Oppositionist Maria Kolesnikova is officially a suspect in a criminal case for illegally attempting to seize power in Belarus
Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova (Maryia Kalesnikava) has been declared a suspect in a criminal case over an illegal attempt to seize power in Belarus, her lawyer Lyudmila Kazak told RIA Novosti, after visiting Kolesnikova at Minsk’s Pre-Trial Detention Center Number One.
The Belarusian security forces launched the case over the formation of the opposition’s Coordination Council, where Kolesnikova is a member of the Presidium. Kolesnikova is the only suspect in the case so far, although other council members are considered witnesses.
According to her defense lawyer, Kolesnikova is currently being held in a six-person cell and is “coming to her senses after the incident at the border.” The period of Kolesnikova’s arrest remains unknown.
Kolesnikova was abducted by unidentified men in the center of the Belarusian capital on the morning of September 7. A day later, Belarusian state media reported that she had been arrested at the border with Ukraine. According to her colleagues, Belarusian officials allegedly hoped to force her out of the country, but she ripped up her passport before reaching the border checkpoint, preventing herself from leaving Belarus. On September 9, reports emerged that Kolesnikova was in custody in Minsk.
Read more about Maria Kolesnikova
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- ‘Not a voluntary exit’ After top Belarusian opposition leader disappears in Minsk, she’s arrested at border with Ukraine
- ‘Any Belarusian could replace me’ Maria Kolesnikova — the last member standing of the opposition ‘women’s triumvirate’ — says she’s not going anywhere
Maria Kolesnikova
In July, she became one of the three leaders of the united opposition campaign for presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya). The other two opposition leaders — Tikhanovskaya herself and Veronika Tsepkalo (Veronica Tsapkala) — were forced to leave Belarus immediately after the election in early August. Kolesnikova remained in the country and joined the Presidium of the opposition’s Coordination Council, an initiative by Tikhanovskaya. The Belarusian authorities are now investigating the Coordination Council for crimes against the state.