Trending Now - Belarusian Opposition Leader Kolesnikova Awarded Charlemagne Prize

WHO:

Maria Kolesnikova, Belarusian opposition figure

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, opposition leader

Tatsiana Khomich, Kolesnikova's sister

Alexander Lukashenko, Belarusian president

International Charlemagne Prize

WHAT:

Kolesnikova was awarded the International Charlemagne Prize in May 2022 in absentia.

Kolesnikova collected the prize on March 14th, 2026.

Kolesnikova was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Kolesnikova was released from prison in December 2025.

Kolesnikova was recognized for her “extraordinary courage” in fighting for democratic rights, free elections, and respect for human rights.

WHERE:

The award ceremony took place in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Kolesnikova resides in Berlin, Germany.

WHEN:

Kolesnikova was awarded the prize in May 2022.

Kolesnikova was released from prison in December 2025.

The ceremony was held on March 14th, 2026.

WHY:

Kolesnikova was awarded the prize for her contributions to European unity and her struggle for democratic rights in Belarus.

Her release was part of a deal with Washington that lifted U.S. sanctions on Belarusian fertilizer exports.

HOW:

Kolesnikova was released following international pressure and a U.S.-brokered deal with Alexander Lukashenko.

Kolesnikova had previously lived in Germany for 13 years before her arrest.

(UPDATED March 15, 2026 05:31 UTC)

Maria Kolesnikova, the Belarusian opposition figure, was awarded the International Charlemagne Prize for her extraordinary courage in fighting for democratic rights and human rights in Belarus, and she collected the prize on March 14, 2026, in Aachen, Germany. Kolesnikova, who was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2021, was released in December 2025 as part of a U.S.-brokered deal with President Alexander Lukashenko that lifted sanctions on Belarusian fertilizer exports. Having previously lived in Germany for 13 years before her arrest, Kolesnikova now resides in Berlin, where she continues her advocacy for democracy.