40-year-old Belarus opposition leader discharged from hospital back in jail

The 40-year-old Belarus opposition leader, Maria Kolesnikova, has been sent straight back to jail a week after she was admitted to intensive care.

Allies of the leader told the Moscow Times on Tuesday, December 6 that she had been returned to jail where she was being monitored by doctors and will be for at least 10 days.

A statement issued the day before by fellow opposition politician Viktor Babaryko said: “Maria was transferred from the Gomel emergency hospital to her penal colony over the weekend.”

Fears for her safety were raised when she was hospitalised suffering with what is believed to be complications associated with a perforated ulcer.

The statement added that her father “managed to see his daughter and confirmed that she is alive” during a 10-minute visit.

Babaryko’s office said: “She lost some weight and still has little strength,” but that she was getting better.”

Kolesnikova made headlines along with Veronika Tsepkalo and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya after they organised mass demonstrations against dictator Lukashenko in 2020.

She refused to go into exile unlike the other two, instead tearing up her passport resulting in her being sent to 11 years in jail for violating national security and conspiring to seize power.

As is his way, Lukashenko used force to disperse the demonstration rounding up thousands of protestors and forcing many into exile. Included in those who were jailed are opposition activists and journalists.  

The 40-year-old Belarus opposition leader, who was discharged from hospital, still has another nine years jail sentence to be served.

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