The Polish newspaper "Wyborcza" included Belarusian political prisoners Maria Kalesnikova and Andrzej Pachobut in the list of "Heroes and Dark Characters of 2022", reform.by noted.

The publication notes that the list includes "figures and symbols that made 2022 tragic, special, bad, fascinating... Some changed this world for the worse, others for the better."

"Red lipstick, a big smile and a twinkle in the eye.

This is how Maria Kalesnikova from Minsk was remembered," the authors of the rating write.

"One of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition proves to the world every day that there are people among us who cannot be broken by any dictator."

The publication writes about

Andrzej Pachobut

as follows: "Our journalist, an oppositionist, who fights for freedom and democracy in Belarus.

He has been in prison for almost two years, and despite the world's demands for his release, Putin's brother Alexander Lukashenko remains blind and deaf."

Andrzej Pachobut, archival photo

Andrzej Pachobut, a journalist from Hrodna, one of the leaders of the Union of Poles of Belarus, which is not recognized by the authorities, has been behind bars since March 25, 2021.

He was charged under 2 articles of the Criminal Code: art.

361 (Calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus) and Art.

130 (Incitement of enmity or enmity).

The trial of the journalist must begin on January 9 in the Hrodna Regional Court.

Maria Kalesnikova has been behind bars since September 7, 2020.

In September 2021, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

She is serving her sentence in PK-4 Goml.

At the end of November, Kalesnikova was urgently hospitalized and operated on.

Kalesnikova's lawyer found out that she was taken to the hospital with a surgical pathology (perforated ulcer).

In addition, the Polish edition included the fence on the border with Belarus.

"The fence with a length of 187 km protects our wonderful country from invaders - women with children, victims of military actions and poor people from the East.

This is a fence that meets the capabilities of PiS [Law and Justice Party]," the newspaper said.