Фото: Совет Европы
Former political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava spoke in Strasbourg at the ceremony for the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.
Kalesnikava was named the 2021 recipient of the Havel Prize, but was imprisoned at the time and unable to accept the award in person. She was released in December 2025 and addressed the ceremony on September 28. The prize is awarded by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
In her speech, Kalesnikava said she clearly remembered the moment she learned in prison that she had received the prize. She thanked those who continued to speak about Belarus and political prisoners during her incarceration.
“I cannot fully express in words what it means to me to stand here today and address you myself. I thank everyone who did not forget me, who continued to speak about Belarus and who believed in the power of solidarity,” she said.
Kalesnikava stressed that international solidarity has practical significance for people deprived of their freedom and isolated from the outside world.
“For those who are in prison and isolation, including without contact with the outside world, solidarity is not a symbol. It is the knowledge that you have not disappeared, that you have not been forgotten and that this will not last forever,” she said.
According to Kalesnikava, repression and pressure affect not only political prisoners but Belarusian society as a whole. She also stressed that Belarus remains part of Europe.
“Europe does not end at the borders of the European Union. It is more than geography and institutions. It is a space of human dignity, freedom and responsibility for one another. These are values that Belarusians continue to strive to live by. That is why Belarus remains part of Europe. And a part of Europe that is in danger must not be isolated,” Kalesnikava said.
She also described her own experience of isolation in prison: a person is cut off from the outside world and gradually made to believe that they have been forgotten and that this situation will last forever. According to her, hope and solidarity help people resist this.
Kalesnikava separately thanked her sister, Tatsiana Khomich, who represented her interests during her imprisonment and campaigned for her release.
“When I had no voice, she became my voice. When I had no freedom, she fought for my freedom. Despite countless objections, obstacles and disbelief, she broke through the ice of indifference. I am standing here today because she never gave up,” Kalesnikava said.
Maria Kalesnikava called on European countries to continue supporting Belarusian society and political prisoners, as well as defending the country’s independence.
“I ask you not to leave Belarus alone in the face of Russian domination. Support those who remain in the country and those who remain in prison. Help keep Belarusian society alive. Help defend Belarus’s independence and sovereignty. Because Belarus belongs to Europe, and Europe cannot turn away. Europe is larger than the European Union, and its responsibility does not end at the Union’s borders,” Kalesnikava said.
The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize was established in 2013 and is awarded annually by the PACE in partnership with the Charter 77 Foundation for outstanding civil society work in defence of human rights in Europe and beyond. The first recipient, in 2013, was human rights defender Ales Bialiatski. Other recipients over the years have included Azerbaijani human rights defender Anar Mammadli, Russian human rights activist Ludmilla Alexeeva, Ukrainian journalist and human rights defender Maksym Butkevych, and others. This year, the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize was awarded to Iranian human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh. The other nominees were Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad and Hungarian human rights defender Márta Pardavi.