Maria, a volunteer with the Gomel branch of the Viasna Human Rights Center, was detained late in the evening of January 18, 2021, and placed in a temporary detention facility as part of a criminal case opened under the article "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or active participation in them." Her home was also searched. Maria had previously actively advocated for the repeal of the so-called "parasite" decree and sued district officials in the Gomel region who had banned protests against the decree.
She was released three days later on her own recognizance. Maria's trial began on September 3, 2021, and on October 13, prosecutors requested a prison sentence of two and a half years. Maria was subsequently forced to leave Belarus, and her case was separated into separate proceedings.
