Maryia Kalesnikava faces formal charges

Maryia Kalesnikava, member of the presidium of the Coordination Council and former campaign manager of presidential nominee Viktar Babaryka, has been officially charged under Part 3 of Art. 361 of the Criminal Code (calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus committed with the use of the media and the Internet), according to the Investigative Committee's official Telegram channel.

The charge carries up to five years in prison.

Kalesnikava was abducted on September 7 in Minsk and, along with two other members of the Coordination Council, Anton Radniankou and Ivan Krautsou, was forcibly brought to the border with Ukraine to be expelled from the country. However, by tearing up her passport, Kalesnikava thwarted the special operation by the Belarusian security forces.

On September 9, the authorities said that the woman was under arrest on suspicion of committing a criminal offense.

On September 11, Kalesnikava was transferred to a pre-trial prison in Žodzina.

The country’s leading human rights organizations called Kalesnikava a political prisoner and demanded her immediate release.