VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2021) Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg condemned the prison sentences handed to Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova on Monday and called on Minsk to immediately release her.
Earlier in the day, Kolesnikova and her fellow opposition figure, Maksim Znak, were sentenced to 11 and 10 years of imprisonment, respectively, on charges of creating an extremist group, subversion, and conspiracy to seize power. Both denied any wrongdoing.
"Today's verdict against Maria #Kolesnikova is another record low in the repression by the regime in #Minsk. We demand her immediate and unconditional release. We will continue to stand with those fighting for a free, democratic and independent #Belarus," Schallenberg, as quoted by the Austrian Foreign Ministry on Twitter.
Both opposition activists were senior members of the Belarusian opposition's coordination center, which was created to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election.
