Jailed Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova, who is serving a long prison term, has been admitted to intensive care in hospital, her allies said on Tuesday.
“Maria is in the emergency hospital in Gomel, in the intensive care unit,” said the press service of fellow opposition politician Viktor Babaryko.
Maria Kolesnikova was part of a trio of women — with Veronika Tsepkalo and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya — who led historic demonstrations against Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko.
Kolesnikova, 40, is the only one of the three still in the country, but she is serving 11 years for conspiracy over her role in the mass protests.
According to the press release, she first went to the surgery unit before being sent to intensive care.
“What terrible news. Our dear Masha, we all hope that you will be alright!” said Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, now leader of the opposition in exile.
Kolesnikova was jailed after spectacularly resisting expulsion from her own country.
The Belarusian security services (KGB) had driven her to the Ukrainian border after putting a sack over her head and pushing her into a minibus.
Kolesnikova then avoided deportation by ripping up her passport, but she was imprisoned.
In 2020 massive rallies had broken out across Belarus, against Lukashenko’s claim to a sixth presidential term.
Lukashenko cracked down on the protests, leading to thousands of arrests and the forced exile or imprisonment of activists and journalists.
