Maria Aleksandrovna Kalesnikava
- Home
- All persecuted
- Maria Aleksandrovna Kalesnikava
Maria Aleksandrovna Kalesnikava
- Associations
- Politicians
Maria, a member of the presidium of the Coordination Council and head of Viktor Babariko's headquarters, was kidnapped on September 7, 2020, and taken to the Belarusian-Ukrainian border for deportation. She tore up her passport and refused to leave the country. On September 9, she was detained and taken into custody.
In September 2021, she was convicted under the articles: “conspiracy to seize power by unconstitutional means,” “calls for action against national security,” and “creation of an extremist group.”
In November 2022, Maria underwent surgery due to a perforated ulcer and peritonitis. Since March 2023, she was in the PKT. Due to health problems, she did not work, she was even accompanied to the formations.
Maria was kept incommunicado for a long time. In the summer of 2024, it became known that the administration had isolated her from other prisoners, with guards constantly with her. On November 12, 2024, she met her father for the first time in 18 months.
The meeting took place in a prison hospital, and it is not known for sure whether she was being treated or was brought there from the PKT. Before this, there had been no communication from Maria, and her condition became known only from the words of other prisoners.
Following this meeting, she was again cut off from communication with the outside world and continues to be kept incommunicado.
In February 2025, her sister reported that Maria had been returned to the unit and expressed hope that communication would be restored.
How to write a letter
✏️ A postcard with words of encouragement (a poem by your favorite author, song lyrics, or a beautiful quote). Trust us, even such simple gestures are very meaningful to a person in jail.
✏️ Your life events. To a person who is in isolation for a long time, any story about your routine endeavors will be a window into normal life. Your day-to-day worries and mundane matters are much more interesting than the daily grind of life behind bars.
✏️ It is important to share news. Mention the most notable and interesting occurrences depending on your pen-pal's interests.
✍️️ Remember that every letter is censored. This means that your letters are read by strangers whose main goal is to limit inmates' access to information or to use it against the prisoners or even you.
So try to avoid:
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case
Involved in repression
The defendants in the case
Who else is in ИК-4
