Director of Amnesty International for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

reacted to the news about the urgent operation performed on

.

"The authorities of Belarus should immediately disclose all information about Maria Kalesnikova's condition, whether something threatens her life and where she is.

The secrecy that surrounds prisoners in Belarus is unacceptable.

This situation once again demonstrates what a cruel and impenetrable system Alexander Lukashenko has built to punish those who dare to disagree or challenge his authority.

Lukashenka's government will not achieve its goal of silencing the powerful voice of peaceful protest by throwing Maria Kalesnikova into a prison in inhumane conditions, denying her access to a lawyer and denying us any information about her well-being."

The message about Maria Kalesnikova's hospitalization came on November 29 from the team of political prisoner

, an associate of Kolesnikova.

On the same day, Kalesnikova's lawyer was refused a meeting for the third time in a row.

According to Viktar Babarika's team, earlier in November, Maria Kalesnikova was placed in a penal detention center - a tougher type of imprisonment.

According to additional information, which was later confirmed by the lawyer, on November 28, Maria Kalesnikova was taken to the Gomel city hospital, operated on and transferred to the intensive care unit.

On September 6, 2021, the Minsk Regional Court sentenced Maria Kalesnikova and her associate

, members of the Coordination Council and associates of the imprisoned presidential candidate Viktar Babarika, to 11 and 10 years, respectively, on politically motivated charges, including "conspiracy to seize power by unconstitutional means ".