co-founder of "FreeBelarusPrisoners" association of relatives and ex-PP, Viktar Babaryka HQ, Coordination Council member,
@viktar_babaryka
@rada_vision
Today is Masha's birthday but unfortunately she will not be able to hear or read my congratulations because every day we have less ways to communicate her. But I know that this day as always Masha is thinking about us and we are thinking about her.
I will leave this message here
🆘 We don’t have much time left to save Maria’s life!
🚨 We must act now to get Maria out of prison and ensure she receives the urgent medical attention she desperately needs.
My sister
@by_kalesnikava
, imprisoned in
#Homel
Penal Colony
#4
, is being tortured by starvation. At 45 kg and 175 cm tall, she is denied necessary medical care and proper nutrition. This is not punishment, this is cruelty.
#SOSMaria
#FreeKalesnikava
Journalist Katsiaryna Andreeva has been a political prisoner for 1,000 days. Despite her 2-year sentence nearing completion the additional 8 years were unjustly imposed.
The last letter from
@by_kalesnikava
was received on February 14, 2023. Since then, which is exactly a year ago, we have not received any reliable information about her.
3 years without Masha and 7 months without contact with her
Today is 3 years since
@by_kalesnikava
was kidnapped.
I won’t hide it, it’s difficult for me to write this. I miss my beloved sister, I worry about her health, it hurts to realize these numbers...
Four years ago today, my sister
@by_kalesnikava
was abducted in
#Minsk
. Now she’s in isolation, denied medical care, and starving. Her health is critical. She must be freed immediately, even through an international exchange. This is a matter of life and death
#sosmaria
#belarus
🆘
Four years ago,
@by_kalesnikava
was kidnapped in Minsk. Today, she is being held in prison under horrific conditions, starved and isolated. Maria is gravely ill, weighing just 45kg.
We urgently call for
@by_kalesnikava
to receive the proper medical treatment and nutrition she desperately needs. Starving a prisoner is a crime against humanity
#SOSMaria
#FreeKalesnikava
The German Flute Society awarded
@by_kalesnikava
with the title of honorary member of the Society. By awarding the title to Maria, the Society expresses its recognition of her courage and the attitude of a creative person for whom creativity and civic position are interconnected.
Today is 1000th day since
@by_kalesnikava
has been in prison. Her arrest took place on September 7, 2020, and on September 6, 2021, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
We are among her family and relatives and we are deeply concerned about the lack of news about her and
Belarusian authorities should immediately end the ill-treatment of
@by_kalesnikava
and all the other
#politicalprisoners
, 24 international and Belarusian rights groups said today.
Maria Kalesnikova has been in prison for almost three years. In Stuttgart, musicians and artists want to remind about this and hold an installation in honor of Masha. Thank you, Nikola Lutz
Today, Daria Losik turns 32. She is married to the blogger Ihar Losik. Since her husband's arrest, she has been fighting for his release, including speaking internationally. She was arrested on October 18, 2022.
Now both are held as
#politicalprisoners
in
#Belarus
.
“My beloved sister,
My main wish is to take care of you despite everything that is happening around you.
You inspire people, your love and kindness will be enough for the whole world. Even for a minute I never stoped admiring you.
Katsiaryna Bakhvalava (Andreyeva) is a Belsat TV journalist. She celebrates her 30th birthday today - she spends it behind bars. Katsiaryna was sentenced to 8 years and 3 months of imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony just for doing her job.
#Politicalprisoner
PALINA SHARENDA-PANASIUK started a hunger strike on August 23.
This is a protest against the terrible conditions that the administration of the temporary detention facility of the Rechitsky district police Department has created for Palina.
I remember your birthdays with lots of flowers and friends who love you very very much! And this day has become a holiday not only for you but for everyone around you.
I know that we will definitely see each other soon, we will celebrate all your missed birthdays as it should
Second anniversary of fraudulent presidential election: more than 40,000 people were arrested, many more activists fled the country. My opinion on Belarus’ significance in the global context➡️
#StandWithBelarus
#westandbyyou
#Belarusian
flautist’s fate unknown as hundreds of activists remain in prison
Death of Russian opposition leader will add to anxiety of
@by_kalesnikava
’s family who have not heard from her for a year
The length of prison sentences in
#Belarus
has increased dramatically for going to demonstrations. You can now be arrested for up to 7 years. Despite this, more than 1500 Belarusians went to anti-war protests, they were beaten and arrested.
#LibertyConEurope22
#StandWithBelarus
Political prisoner Polina Sharendo-Panasyuk disappeared from the Gomel pre-trial detention center
Relatives only know that she was taken out on August 21. Until this moment the location of the political prisoner remains unknown
#Belarusian
human rights activist Nasta Loika is being transferred to a detention center in
#Minsk
for a court hearing involving political charges. Nasta was detained in October 2022 and sentenced to 7 years under Article 130 (incitement to hatred)
#Belarus
«
#Politicalprisoner
Ales Pushkin died in intensive care unit tonight under unclear circumstances," reported his wife. He was 57 years old.
Ales, a renowned Belarusian artist, has been sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony. He was charged with
My interview is about
@by_kalesnikava
, her life, her arrest, her conditions of detention and my advocacy work for the liberation of all Belarusian political prisoners. The article also talks about how European society and students can support political prisoners
@tnf_webzine
Two years have passed since Masha
@by_kalesnikava
was kidnapped and then detained. We used to communicate so often, and now it's rare letters, several video calls in 2 years and short messages through lawyers. We talked via video link on July 21 and I saw her.
#freekalesnikava
Today I met with Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, Uzra Zeya, US Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Kara McDonald, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and Julie Fisher, U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus.
Mikita Zalatarou, a 16-year-old, got arrested, beaten, and given a 4.5-year sentence, making him one of the youngest
#politicalprisoners
in
#Belarus
. His dad, Mikhail, has been unjustly detained for months, and his detention was extended again.
#HumanRights
New sentences in Belarus today:
• Sergei Tsikhanovsky - 18 years
• Nikolay Statkevich - 14 years
• Igar Losik - 15 years
• Artem Sakov - 16 years
• Vladimir Tsyganovich - 15 years
• Dmitry Popov is 16 years
It only means that we will not stop our fight for freedom.
Ales Bialiatski, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been subjected to a distinctive punishment, having been placed in a small isolation cell in the prison colony under false pretenses. Even his lawyer is not permitted to visit him.
Maria
@by_kalesnikava
continues to be in the medical unit of the Gomel colony.
"At the moment,
#Kalesnikova
is in the hospital, her condition isn’t very good, she is very thin," prisoners of the colony told human rights activists
@viasna96
About my sister
@by_kalesnikava
and
#Belarus
at
@GenevaSummit
. On April 24 Maria celebrates her birthday at the Women’s Penal Colony. Even in prison, she does not lose optimism and her huge smile. Send a postcard to Maria📝246035, Gomel, Penal Colony 4, 3 Antoshkina str., unit 18
It is obvious that there is progress within Belarus. Readiness to release political prisoners, if not all, then some. At the same time, there is talk about possible prisoner exchanges between countries. Now it is important how European countries will react to this situation.
It’s been 11 months since the connection with political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich has disappeared
"I hope Mikalai doesn't feel lonely now, no matter how hard these people try to isolate him" his wife Marina Adamovich wrote on Facebook.
There is mounting urgency in
@by_kalesnikava
's case, because she and
#Belarus
' highest-profile prisoners have been held incommunicado for nearly 600 days.
"The war in Ukraine is currently attracting everyone's attention. But let's not forget the over 1,000 political prisoners who are incarcerated, just like my sister
@by_kalesnikava
They still need our support". An interview to
@KontextWZ
➡️
#StandWithBelarus
#Belarusian
#Politicalprisoner
Katsiaryna Novikava penned a letter from her prison cell, etching her words onto a scrap of toilet paper. In harrowing detail, she recounted the brutal beatings and torture she endured.
At least 7 people in Belarus are being held in incommunicado detention, meaning they are denied contact with their families and lawyers. In international human rights practice, this is considered one of the most severe violations of human rights.
📌 У Беларусі {як мінімум} 7 асобаў знаходзіцца ў рэжыме інкамунікада. Інкамунікада - гэта знаходжанне асуджанага без права перапіскі і спатканняў са сваякамі і абаронцам. У практыцы міжнародных праваабарончых механізмаў - гэта адно з самых цяжкіх парушэнняў правоў чалавека.
Yesterday was my birthday. Every birthday
@by_kalesnikava
recalls my waking her up at 7:40 in the morning with a cry. I was probably "in a hurry". By the time the ambulance arrived, I was ready to be born. So they decided to deliver the baby at home. And every year we laugh😊
Today is a birthday of a political prisoner ULADZISLAU KARETSKI.He is 27 years old, and this is already his third birthday which he celebrates in a prison without his loved ones.
ULADZISLAU is currently in Prison
#4
in Mogilev town.
Elena Tereshkova, a two-time Belarusian taekwondo champion, writer and surgeon, was convicted in Minsk.
Elena is a mother of four children, the sister of activist and political prisoner Maxim Vinyarsky, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
#Politicalprisoner
Maksim Znak turns 42 today. This is his third birthday in captivity. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. We don't know anything about his present condition.
News about the condition of
@by_kalesnikava
after the operation.
— She was transferred to the detachment from the medical unit.
— She is already back to work but gets tired after the working shift.
— She has begun to gain weight.
— Maria is getting better.
#kalesnikava
I was invited for a tour of the German Resistance Memorial Center in Berlin. It was here members of the failed July 20, 1944 plot that attempted to assassinate Hitler were executed. I also met with the
#Belarusian
diaspora, they takes care of refugees from 🇺🇦
#StandWithBelarus
#Politicalprisoner
Polina Sharenda-Panasjuk has been transferred from ‘Navinki’ to ‘Valadarka’ prison. Her husband, Andrey Sharenda, shared this information on Facebook: ‘Most likely, the psychiatric examination has concluded. However, we are not aware of its results, nor do we
My sister Maria
@by_kalesnikava
was sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony. She loves receiving letters, but all political prisoners need your support and encouragement. Please, visit and write a letter. Thank you!
#StandWithBelarus
#OsloFreedomForum
Music will set you free — except in Belarus, where it will send you to prison. In 2020, when a majority voted for
@Tsihanouskaya
, the streets were filled with the music of the Tor Band, whose lyrics captured the spirit of the day.
63-year-old political prisoner Iryna Tokarchuk was sentenced today by the Minsk City Court. She was detained during a mass raid targeting relatives of political prisoners. The mother of blogger Olga Tokarchuk was charged under Article 361-4(2) of the Belarusian Criminal Code
Today, March 8, 2022, 137 women are in prisons in Belarus convicted for political reasons
Belarusian women have already proved that they are not the weaker sex and should be reckoned with.
@by_kalesnikava
#standwithbelarus
#freepoliticalprisoners
Letters with heart-signs 🤍❤️🤍 are not allowed into the Gomel women's correctional colony No. 4. Such information came from several relatives of the political prisoners held there.
The system is afraid of our solidarity. Afraid... of hearts 🤦🏻♀️
🚨 Urgent: 2022 Charlemagne Prize Laureate and
#Belarus
|ian political activist Maria
@by_kalesnikava
has been detained for 3+ years. No communication for 4+ months and rising health concerns post-surgery.
Sign the appeal & share:
#freemaria
#HumanRights
Political prisoner PALINA SHARENDA-PANASIUK was found in temporary detention center Rechitsky
This information was published by her husband Andrey: „Most likely the new criminal case has finally been completed, and Palina will be familiarize herself with the case materials.”
Seven young people were detained in
#Belarus
. Some of them are accused of an "act of terrorism" and "treason against the state"
Among those detained are college students in Baranovichi, Nesvizh, Mir, Minsk and Luninets.
Elvira Konyusheva, a medic from Senno who researches teenage suicides and won a top award for her study last year, is being tried for "extremism" today in
#Belarus
On March 8, I was lucky to be present at the Women of Courage Award at the White House. In 2021, my sister Maria
@by_kalesnikava
became the laureate of this award for her contribution to the development of the women's political movement and social change in
#Belarus
.
Yesterday, at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
#CSW68
, I spoke about
@by_kalesnikava
and 170 + women are detained in pre-trial detention centers and colonies in
#Belarus
.
Journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva has been punished with 8 years in prison for "high treason ". Last year she was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment for live streaming from the protests. She was to be released in September. Godparent:
@delarabur
#westandbyyou
#StandWithBelarus
A
#Belarusian
woman was detained upon returning from abroad after authorities found "evidence of protest participation" on her phone. She was forced to say that life was hard in other countries, leading her to "decide to return to
#Belarus
to live, work, and grow."
Eduard was in handcuffs during the trial today, which is not applicable even for the most dangerous criminals.
Eduard spent more than 3 years waiting for the trial in pre-trial detention center. First 1,5 years were not included in the final sentence term. It means that Eduard’s
Eduard Babaryka was sentenced to 8 years in prison. He spent a record-breaking 3 years in pretrial detention, which is unprecedented in Belarus. He didn’t admit his guilt.
My sister
@by_kalesnikava
was awarded the International Charlemagne Prize for her courageous and encouraging efforts to fight against brutal state despotism in
#Belarus
and to campaign for democracy and freedom. I represent her at award events
#karlspreis2022
#StandWithBelarus
Political prisoner Dzmitry Dashkevich will face a new criminal trial this week. He is charged under Article 342 of the Belarusian Criminal Code. The trial will begin on July 17 at the Pershamaiski District Court in Minsk.
In Copenhagen with Sasha Audzievich - Belarusian wheelchair cyclist, blogger, barista, activist of the inclusive movement. He fought for the rights of people with special needs in
#Belarus
and fled when repressions started.
#StandWithBelarus
#freeBelarus
A top
#Belarusian
table tennis coach, 63-year-old Yuri Logodyuk, who dedicated his life to rehabilitating people with disabilities through the sport, now faces up to 6 years in prison for "aiding extremist activities."
Political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk faces a new trial on October 14 in Rechytsa. Arrested in 2021, she has had her sentence extended twice for "disobedience." Her health is deteriorating, and she’s now in solitary confinement. Palina's two sons await her release
The Supreme Court of Belarus upheld the verdict against the Maria Kalesnikava and Maxim Znak.
Maria was sentenced to 11 years in correctional camp, Maxim - to 10 years.
#standwithbelarus
#Belarusian
security forces are reportedly coercing recently pardoned political prisoners into collaboration under threats of renewed persecution and pressure on their families, according to human rights groups
Polina Sharenda-Panasuk has decided to renounce her Belarusian citizenship as a protest against the torture in prisons. Such a statement was made by her husband, Andrey Sharenda, on behalf of his wife:
She no longer wishes to be associated with the current oppressive regime in
#Politicalprisoner
Igor Lednik died in prison.
In September 2022, Igor was sentenced to 3 years in prison. A veteran of the opposition movement, he was accused of slander against Lukashenko (Part 2, Article 367 of the Criminal Code).
In a highly contentious trial, the prosecutor is pushing for a severe punishment of 10 years in a maximum-security penal facility for Eduard Babaryka. The charges against him include stoking social animosity, orchestrating large-scale civil unrest, laundering illicitly acquired
Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk was not released from the colony after the end of her sentence, according to the words of her husband. She should have been released on May 21, but on May 19, she was transferred from the colony, but there is still no information where and on what grounds
Maria was transported to the hospital being already in a serious condition. The surgery was successful. Doctors say, she is conscious, but is still in a serious condition. Unconfirmed sources say Maria might have stomach perforation.
#Kolesnikova
#Belarus
I'm afraid for my sister. Uncertainty is also a way of manipulation and pressure. Belarusian authorities tried to hush up the information, but it led to the opposite effect.
Thank you
@ned
for support!
The regime in Belarus bears full responsibility for the health and well-being of Maria Kalesnikava and its 1,440 other political prisoners. Those responsible will be held accountable.
For the last 9 days before his release, Leanid Sudalenka was confined in a punishment cell, forced to sleep naked on a damp basement floor with only toilet paper as a pillow, serving as a stark reminder of the inhumane conditions faced by
#politicalprisoners
in
#Belarus
.
To honor the deceased Kalinovets Alexey Skoblya a memorial plaque was installed near Kiev
Alexey Skoblya has been fighting in Ukraine since 2015 as a volunteer, died on March 13, 2022 near Kiev near the village of Mashchun, he was in a special forces group. Skoblya was awarded
A performance inspired by the stories of Belarusian women political prisoners , which is dedicated to birthday of
@by_kalesnikava
, will take place in Salzburg today. Its author is actress and director Marina Yakubovich.
So many strong women at the
#GenevaSummit2022
!
@bertavalle
, Nicaraguan human rights defender. Berta, her daughter and mother-in-law have been living in exile due to the political persecution faced by her husband Félix Maradiaga
@maradiaga
. She coordinates teams supporting Félix