Prominent Belarus opposition figure picks up prize she was awarded while in prison

BERLIN (AP) — Prominent Belarus opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova on Saturday picked up a prize for contributions to European unity that she was unable to collect while in prison in her homeland four years ago.

Kolesnikova was presented with the International Charlemagne Prize at a ceremony in Aachen, Germany. She won the prize in 2022, when it was received on her behalf by her sister, Tatsiana Khomich.

Kolesnikova was a key figure in the mass protests that rocked Belarus in 2020. She was a close ally of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition leader who was forced into exile after challenging authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in that year’s vote.

With her close-cropped hair, broad smile and a gesture of forming her outstretched hands into the shape of a heart, she was often seen at the front of demonstrations. Kolesnikova became an even greater symbol of resistance when Belarusian authorities tried to deport her in September 2020. Driven to the Ukrainian border, she briefly broke away from security forces, tore up her passport and walked back into Belarus, where authorities took her back into custody.

The 43-year-old professional flautist was convicted in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to seize power and sentenced to 11 years in prison. She fell seriously ill behind bars and underwent surgery.

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Kolesnikova was released in December along with dozens of other political prisoners as part of a deal with Washington that lifted crippling U.S. sanctions on Belarusian fertilizer exports.

The prize she received Saturday is named after the Holy Roman emperor Charlemagne, who once ruled a swath of western Europe from Aachen. Previous recipients include French President Emmanuel Macron, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Popes Francis and John Paul II, and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Kolesnikova was recognized for her “extraordinary courage” in fighting for democratic rights, free elections and respect for human rights.