Last Remaining Belarus Heroine Trio Missing... "Kidnapped by People Wearing Masks"

Opposition Leader Disappears on Street in Broad Daylight in Minsk

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] In Belarus, where protests against election fraud have been ongoing daily since last month's presidential election, opposition figures have gone missing. Maria Kolesnikova, the only one among the three heroines of Belarus who did not flee abroad and played a central role in the opposition, was kidnapped by unidentified assailants.

According to foreign media on the 7th (local time), Kolesnikova disappeared in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. She was active as a campaign worker for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who was a presidential candidate in Belarus in the last election. In addition, Veronika Tsepkalo and others formed election campaigns against the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko.

Veronika Tserkalo (from left), Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Maria Kolesnikova [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to the official election results, Tikhanovskaya's campaign received only 10.1% of the vote, overwhelmingly losing to President Lukashenko (80.1%). However, Belarusian citizens see Tikhanovskaya as the actual winner and have been protesting daily in response. After the election, Tikhanovskaya was briefly detained and then fled to Lithuania along with Tsepkalo. Because of this, Kolesnikova, who remained the only one in Belarus, has served as Tikhanovskaya's spokesperson.

The Belarusian opposition suspects that Kolesnikova has been detained. However, Belarusian police deny her arrest, and her whereabouts remain unknown. According to witnesses, masked men pushed Kolesnikova into a minivan in the center of Minsk and then disappeared.

A witness at the scene said, "I heard the sound of a phone dropping to the floor and a scuffle, so I looked back and saw people in civilian clothes wearing masks pushing Kolesnikova into a minivan."

In addition to Kolesnikova, Anton Rodnenkov and Ivan Kraptsov, who were active in the Coordination Council, have also gone missing.

Regarding the disappearance of Kolesnikova and other opposition figures, Tikhanovskaya said, "The Belarusian government has now resorted to terrorism," adding, "This kidnapping is an attempt to disrupt the activities of the Coordination Council and intimidate people." She stated, "The more they intimidate citizens, the more citizens will take to the streets," and demanded, "Release all detainees and conduct a fair re-election."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.