Maria Kalesnikava

Maria Kalesnikava (Marya Alyaksandrauna Kalesnikava / Maria Aleksandrovna Kolesnikova; born 24 April 1982) is a Belarusian professional flutist and political activist. In 2020, she headed Viktar Babaryka's electoral campaign during the presidential elections of 2020 in Belarus. Kalesnikava represented the united campaign of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, then she became a member of the presidium of the Coordination Council formed during the 2020 Belarusian protests in opposition to the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. She is also a founder of the 'Razam' political party.

Kalesnikava was kidnapped by unidentified law enforcement officers on 7 September 2020 and the next morning taken into Ukrainian territory by force. Kalesnikava was intimidated and pressured to leave Belarus, but while on neutral ground she got out of the car through the rear window, tore her passport to pieces and went back on foot. On Belarusian territory she was arrested immediately. Maxim Znak, Kalesnikava's attorney, was detained the next day. On 11 September 2020, Amnesty International recognized Kalesnikava as a prisoner of conscience. She was awarded the International Women of Courage Award in 2021. On 6 September 2021, Kalesnikava was sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony for her political activity. She was released in December 2025 and deported from Belarus.