Maria Kolesnikova

Maria Kolesnikova is a prominent Belarusian opposition activist. She was imprisoned in Belarus as a political prisoner. Kolesnikova's release is newsworthy because it is part of a larger event where Belarus freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski. This mass release occurred after the US agreed to lift sanctions on Belarus, specifically potash sanctions. The release followed talks in Minsk with a US special envoy. Kolesnikova and other released prisoners have been reunited with loved ones in Ukraine and Lithuania. Her release signifies a potential shift in relations between Belarus and the US, marking a rapprochement between Washington and Minsk after months of negotiation.