On November 12, political prisoner Maryia Kalesnikava was visited by her father in jail, babariko.vision reports. She had been sentenced to 11 years in a minimum-security penal colony.
Maryia’s father Alyaksandr Kalesnikau said:
“Maryia has been in a cell alone for almost 8 months now. She is, shall we say, not happy about it, and will insist on changing this situation. Masha considers this situation not only as pressure but as a violation of her rights. According to even our laws, solitary confinement is a punishment. She really misses talking. You can’t imagine with what joy she listens to me with news from family, relatives, and friends.”
According to him, Maryia “looks very good”: “She is slim and does physical exercises; she started practicing yoga. Masha says it gives her extra strength and confidence.”
Maryia Kalesnikava is very proud of receiving the Vaclav Havel award and said the following: “This award belongs to all the political prisoners.”
Maryia Kalesnikava was kidnapped in Minsk on September 7, 2020. They tried to take her to Ukraine, but she refused to leave the country and tore her passport at the border. The next day she was placed in a detention center, a year later she was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
