Maria Kalesnikava is one of the best-known faces of the opposition in Belarus. Together with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Veronika Zepkalo, she became internationally known as an opponent of Alexander Lukashenko. After the controversial presidential election in August 2020, Kalesnikava called for the Belarusian dictator to step down and accused him of electoral fraud.  

At the beginning of September 2020, she was abducted by masked men on the street in the Belarusian capital Minsk and taken to the border with Ukraine. There, she is said to have been told to leave the country under threat of physical violence. However, Kalesnikava tore up her passport shortly before crossing the border and resisted deportation from Belarus. Since then, despite international protests, she has been imprisoned for undermining national security. Now she has disappeared, and her family is desperate. Sister Tatsiana Khomich has not received any sign of life for months. Watch Maria Kalesnikava’s story now!

#ReportsofResistance #Activism #Belarus

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Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:33 The Arrest of Maria Kalesnikava
1:40 The Regime Under Alexander Lukashenko
3:31 Opposing Candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya
5:01 Opposing Candidate Maria Kalesnikava
6:18 Kalesnikava Pushed into a Punishment Cell

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About Reports of Resistance:
From the streets of Kabul to Minsk, from the suppressed voices in Tehran to the fearless fighters in Myeik and Mogadishu. Reports of Resistance shows activists and journalists who have been threatened or imprisoned because of their strive of justice. Along with relatives, colleagues and friends, these dissidents tell their stories of oppression and their continuing struggle against dictatorial regimes and terrorist militias.
This video series was created by Team 34 of Axel Springer Academy of Journalism & Technology.

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#ReportsofResistance #Activism #Belarus #FreedomFighters #ChangeMakers

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