Maria Kolesnikova: no requests for clemency are out of the question refused to ask for pardon. She stated this in an interview with DW.
“Any pressure has the opposite effect. Naturally, there can be no question of any requests for clemency. After all, I, like Maxim Znak and all political prisoners, are innocent. You can't admit what you haven't done, “Kolesnikova said.
She noted that the Belarusian authorities are leading the country to nowhere. “It is important for everyone to look for a way out of the dangerous peak and already now think about solving problems for the future,” the oppositionist said.
When asked what could force President Alexander Lukashenko to leave her post, Kolesnikova replied: “The situation is very difficult and we have already lost more than a year. I really want to believe that common sense will finally win. Leaving will take place, it is a matter of time and the price that Belarusians will pay for it. ”
She stated that there are forces in the government,“ ready for constructive decisions, for negotiations to get out of the peak. ”
In September, members of the Constitutional Court Presidium Maria Kolesnikova and Maxim Znak received 11 and 10 years in prison, respectively, on charges of conspiracy to seize power and create an extremist group.
In 2020, Kolesnikova headed the electoral headquarters of the ex-head Belgazprombank Viktor Babariko, who was considered the main rival of Alexander Lukashenko in the presidential elections. Two months before the vote, Babariko was arrested.