German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced that Germany will take in the released Belarusian opposition figures Maria Kolesnikowa and Viktor Babariko. The two were freed from prison on Saturday as part of a deal with the US and initially brought to Ukraine. Dobrindt emphasized Germany's interest in supporting the Belarusian democracy movement.
On Sunday, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) stated in the ARD "Report from Berlin" that Germany would take in prominent opposition figure Maria Kolesnikowa and former presidential candidate Viktor Babariko. "We have a great interest in strengthening this democracy movement, even if it now has to develop outside of Belarus," Dobrindt said. "That's why we will take in two of the outstanding politicians, opposition politicians who were in prison, today."
The release of the 123 political prisoners, including Kolesnikowa and Babariko, took place on Saturday under US pressure. Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukaschenko freed them as part of agreements with US President Donald Trump, according to his press service. Most were transported by bus to Ukraine; Peace Nobel laureate Ales Bjaljazki was deported to Lithuania.
Kolesnikowa, who played a key role in the mass protests following the disputed 2020 presidential election, was arrested in September 2020 and sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2021 for conspiracy to overthrow the government. She had chosen not to flee into exile and previously worked as a cultural manager in Stuttgart, where she speaks fluent German. At a press conference in Kyiv, she said: "I think I won't stay in Ukraine, because I can live in another country." In a "Tagesthemen" interview, she stated she had no future plans but believed in returning to Belarus: "Inside, I was always free."
Babariko, a former banker, ran as a strong challenger to Lukaschenko in 2020, was arrested two months before the election, and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2021 on corruption charges. He expressed no plans to leave Ukraine at the press conference.
