The family of imprisoned Belarusian opposition figure hasn’t heard from her for a year

By YURAS KARMANAU
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The family of imprisoned Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova says it hasn’t received a letter from her for a year. Kolesnikova is serving 11 years for organizing anti-government protests. Other imprisoned opposition figures have been held incommunicado for months. Mass protests rocked Belarus in 2020 after a disputed election gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term in office. Authorities responded by arresting more than 35,000 people and beating thousands. Many top opposition figures were arrested and given long prison terms, while others fled abroad. Human rights advocates say there are 1,416 political prisoners in Belarus and many are deliberately isolated. Kolesnikova’s father told The Associated Press that “I can only pray that my daughter is alive.”