Maria Kolesnikova, Face of Belarus Post-Election Uprising, 'Detained' by Unidentified Men: Who Is She?
According to Tut.By portal, a leading Belarusian news web portal, Kolesnikova was pulled inside a minivan by a group of unidentified persons. The Lukashenko government has denied arresting her. A statement issued by the police department claimed that she was not taken into custody, reported Russia's Interfax news agency.
Minsk, September 7: Maria Kolesnikova, who has emerged as the face of Belarus' post-election uprising, was detained by unidentified men in the capital city of Minsk, local media reports said. Her detention would come as a major jolt to the opposition transition council, which has been leading a nationwide agitation demanding the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko. Police Detain 633 Demonstrators For Protesting in Minsk.
According to Tut.By portal, a leading Belarusian news web portal, Kolesnikova was pulled inside a minivan by a group of unidentified persons. The Lukashenko government has denied arresting her. A statement issued by the police department claimed that she was not taken into custody, reported Russia's Interfax news agency.
Who is Maria Kolesnikova?
48-year-old Kolesnikova is a musician, as well as an active political activist. Over the past decade, she has been vocal against the alleged authoritarian rule of Lukashenko. She came in the spotlight ahead of the 2020 presidential elections after leading Opposition leader Viktar Barbyryka announced her as his campaign manager.
After Barbyryka's arrest and rejection of his candidature, Kolesnikova joined hands with the two powerful female leaders of Belarus' Opposition - Veronika Tsepkalo and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The latter was announced as the joint presidential candidate of the Opposition bloc.
Tsepkalo and Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus after the "rigged" polls in which Lukashenko emerged victorious. Kolesnikova, despite facing the threat of being persecuted, stayed back and led the post-election protests seeking a probe into the elections and the ouster of Lukashenko from Office till a transparent poll is conducted.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2020 04:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).