"The Charlemagne Prize recognizes people who have worked to advance European unity. Kolesnikova was awarded with the prize alongside fellow opposition figures Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo for their struggle for democratic rights, free elections and the respect of human dignity in Belarus."
"She could not attend the 2022 ceremony as she had been arrested two years earlier as part of Minsk's crackdown on a wave of opposition protests. She was released in mid-December, 2025, following international pressure and a US-brokered deal with Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko."
"Kolesnikova has called for European politicians to engage in dialogue with Lukashenko, saying the EU has significant leverage over Minsk."
Maria Kolesnikova, a Belarusian opposition figure, personally received the Charlemagne Prize on Saturday in Aachen after being awarded it in absentia in May 2022. She shared the prize with fellow opposition figures Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo for their efforts to advance democratic rights, free elections, and human dignity in Belarus. Kolesnikova was unable to attend the 2022 ceremony because she had been imprisoned following Minsk's crackdown on opposition protests. She was released in December 2025 through international pressure and a US-brokered agreement with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. German authorities granted her political asylum, and she now resides in Berlin. During the ceremony, Kolesnikova urged European politicians to engage in dialogue with Lukashenko, emphasizing the EU's significant leverage over Belarus.
#belarusian-opposition #charlemagne-prize #democratic-activism #political-asylum #eu-belarus-relations
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