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“The regime is involved in terrorism, otherwise it couldn’t call it that. The kidnapping of Mary Kalesnikava and Anton Rodnenkov and Ivan Kravtsov is an attempt to disrupt the work of the Coordination Council. We just won’t stop it. The more they try to intimidate us. , more people will take to the streets. We will continue fighting, releasing all those detained and holding new elections. “
In Minsk, unknown men dressed in black grabbed the famous Belarusian opposition figure M. Kalesnikava on Monday morning and pushed her into a minibus, her team said, witnesses said.
Kalesnikava was one of Sviatlan Cichanouskaya’s campaign partners in the disputed presidential election on August 9.
Mr. Kalesnikava is a member of the Opposition Coordination Council, which calls on the country’s long-time authoritarian president, Aliaksandr Lukashenko, to hand over power peacefully. Since the elections, there have been massive protests in the country against the results of the official elections, which Lukashenko won. The opposition and western countries consider that these elections are rigged.
Unknown men detained Kalesnikava in central Minsk and took her away in a minibus marked “Communications”, witnesses said. M. Kalesnikava’s phone is off.
The Minsk militia has stated that it has not detained any member of the Presidium of the Coordination Council.
Sviatlana Cichanouskaya, Mary Kalesnikava
Shortly afterwards, Volha Cemodanova, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, said that the ministry had no information about the arrest of Ms Kalesnikava and two other members of the Coordinating Council.
“We have no information,” he said.
A witness named Anastasia told the tut.by portal on Monday around 10 pm (and in Lithuanian time) she saw masked men push M. Kalesnikava into a minibus and grab her mobile phone.
Belarusian officials have already detained several members of the Coordination Council and questioned other members, including Mr. Kalesnikava, in the course of an investigation into an alleged attempt to seize power.
Kalesnikava, 38, is the only one of three women who led Cichanouskaya’s campaign in Belarus, where a growing opposition movement is staging massive demonstrations despite Lukashenko’s intimidating shows of force.
S. Cichanouskaja went to neighboring Lithuania and his other campaign partner, Veranika Capkala, is currently in Ukraine.
Kalesnikava, a flutist and music teacher, entered politics with the electoral campaign of opposition politician and former banker Viktor Babaryka. Babaryka tried to compete with Lukashenko in the elections, but was jailed and banned from running.
When Ms. Cichanouskaja, English teachers and translators with no political experience, were unexpectedly allowed to run for the presidency, Ms. Kalesnikava and Ms. Capkala supported her and spoke to her at rallies.
The women’s gestures became their gestures: S. Cichanouskaya raised her fist, M. Kalesnikava showed a heart formed by her fingers, and V. Capkala – a sign of victory.
M. Kalesnikava and other members of V. Babaryka’s campaign announced last month that they were forming a new opposition party “Together”.
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