Jailed Belarusian activist Maria Kalesnikava meets with father after no contact with family for year and a half

Belarusian political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava, whose family feared for her safety after not hearing from her since February 2023, has reportedly met with her father. Roman Protasevich, the former head of a prominent Belarusian opposition Telegram channel, posted a photo of the father and daughter hugging on Tuesday.

Protasevich did not say where, when, or under what circumstances the meeting took place.

Maria Kalesnikava become one of the most prominent members of the political opposition in Belarus in the lead-up to the country’s 2020 presidential election. She was arrested in September 2020 and later sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of extremism and attempting to “seize power.” According to her relatives, Kalesnikava has been abused, tortured, and isolated from the outside world and other prisoners since her arrest.