Maria Kolesnikova, the last leading opposition figure remaining in Belarus, has appeared in court with her lawyer and co-defendant Maxim Znak. She has been in jail since September 2020.
Other Belarusian protest leaders, such as Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo, have fled the country. Last week, Kolesnikova called on the Belarusian government to stop using violence against the population.
Kolesnikova and her lawyer Znak are suspected of undermining national security, conspiring to take power and forming an extremist group. If found guilty, the two could face up to 12 years in prison. The activist danced and made heart gestures while standing in a glass cage in court.
Kolesnikova joined the mass protests against the disputed Belarusian presidential election in 2020 and became a key figure in the protest movement against President Alexander Lukashenko. In September, she was kidnapped by the Secret Service. The activist was to be deported to Ukraine, but she tore up her passport shortly before crossing the border. Because of this, her deportation could not go ahead.
Last year’s protests left several dead, hundreds injured, and thousands arrested. Human rights activists have repeatedly raised torture in Belarusian prisons.
