US EditionProminent Belarus opposition figure picks up prize she was awarded while in prison
Maria Kolesnikova was honored for her courage and fight for democracy after her 2025 release from prison; the prize highlights her role in Belarus’ 2020 protests.
- Prominent Belarus opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova picked up a prize for contributions to European unity that she was awarded while in prison in 2022.
- Kolesnikova was a key figure in the mass protests against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus in 2020.
- The 43-year-old was convicted in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to seize power and sentenced to 11 years in prison before being released in December as part of a deal with Washington.
34 Articles
34 Articles
This award should have been given to Maria Kolesnikova in May 2022. But because of her imprisonment, her sister had then returned to the ceremony.
Belarusian opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova received today the award for contribution to European unity that was awarded to her in 2022, which she could not receive as a political prisoner.
Maria Kolesnikova: A Symbol of Resistance Wins Charlemagne Prize
Maria Kolesnikova, a prominent Belarus opposition figure, received the International Charlemagne Prize for her contributions to European unity. Initially awarded in 2022, she was unable to collect it due to her imprisonment in Belarus. Her courageous resistance against the authoritarian regime has been internationally recognized.
When she was awarded the Karl Prize in 2022, the Belarusian freedom fighter Kolesnikova was imprisoned. Today she received the award in Aachen afterwards.
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