Maria Kolesnikova called in a smuggled letter from the prison to the public in the country to continue to oppose the tyrannical rule of Lukashenko
Protest leader in Belarus, Maria Kolesnikova // Photo: Reuters
After an extensive wave of arrests that took place today (Thursday) in Belarus, the imprisoned protest leader, Marina Kolesnikova, managed to deliver an encouraging letter to the citizens of the country from the detention center where she is imprisoned.
In a letter that was apparently smuggled out of prison by Kolesnikova's lawyer, Ludmila Kazak, and addressed to her husband, the leader wrote: "Everything is fine with me, the conditions are tolerable and the new companies are excellent. We exercise outside while hiking and eat a lot."
"I miss you and Tania (her sister) very much. I really hope everything is fine with her and the staff. A big hug to everyone. You have to tell everyone not to give up, just go ahead! Those who kidnapped me are incredibly weak and hysterical. Even their job they do not know how to do. "Properly. There is chaos everywhere and chaos. And this is not a joke," the imprisoned leader wrote.
Following the publication of the letter, attorney Kazak was abducted on her way to a court hearing and only hours later it became clear that she was being held by police.
Police told the local news agency "Tot" that the lawyer was arrested for "administrative offenses", opposition sources estimate that she was arrested for exposing the letter.
Kolesnikova was arrested two weeks ago when masked men stormed her on a crowded street in the city of Minsk and put her in an unmarked vehicle.
After two days of detention, Nahia was taken to the Ukrainian border and required to leave the country.
Kolesnikova tore her passport and refused to leave her country, she has been imprisoned and awaiting trial ever since.
Protest in Belarus marked a particularly difficult day yesterday after hundreds were arrested in a spontaneous protest that erupted after the hasty swearing-in of Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko for another presidency.
Supporters of the protest in Belarus, along with international bodies, claim that Lukashenko has falsely falsified the results of the presidential election.
Participated in the preparation of the article: David Baron