Belarus charges opposition figure Kolesnikova with undermining national security

Issued on: 16/09/2020 – 17:20

Belarus investigators have officially charged Maria Kolesnikova, a protest leader, with incitement to undermine national security, the Investigative Committee said in a statement on Wednesday.

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Kolesnikova was charged with calling for “actions aimed at undermining Belarusian national security” using the media and the Internet, the committee said.

A member of the Coordination Council created by the opposition to facilitate talks with President Alexander Lukashenko on a transition of power, Kolesnikova is currently in jail in Minsk after ripping up her own passport last week to thwart an attempt to expel her to Ukraine.

Kolesnikova, 38, played a major role in the campaign of opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who claimed victory over Lukashenko in a disputed election last month, and went on to address huge rallies calling for the presidents resignation.

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She was detained on September 7 in the capital, Minsk, along with two other council members. Witnesses said she was bundled into a van by masked men.

On September 8, she and the two other councRead More – Source

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