Maria Kalesnikava responded on who is responsible for the events of 2020 and why a conversation with Lukashenka is unavoidable

Maria Kalesnikava. Screenshot from video: dwbelarus / YouTube

Former political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava, in an interview with DW Belarus, answered questions about the responsibility of opposition leaders in 2020 and explained why she considers it necessary to resume diplomatic initiatives with the Belarusian authorities.

"It's difficult for me to imagine that people who decided to vote in 2020 had any illusions about the country they lived in"

"Do you bear any responsibility for your calls, for promoting that the regime could be defeated with love, flowers, peaceful words, calls for peace and dialogue?" — Maria was asked.

Kalesnikava responded ironically:

"Promoting love is, of course, a criminally punishable offense in Belarus. And it was precisely for promoting love, goodness, and universal human values that I received an 11-year sentence."

Maria emphasized: "Responsibility for violence against people, for aggression, for the brutal dispersal of peaceful protests, and for the number of people who suffered from it, lies with those who make the decisions."

According to her, it's convenient to make "scapegoats" out of opposition leaders, but decisions on repressions were made by other people:

"None of us made the decision to disperse peaceful rallies, imprison thousands of people, expel them from Belarus, or continue repressions for over five years."

Kalesnikava noted that similar accusations against leaders of peaceful protests reminded her of situations of violence against women, where the victim is blamed for being raped "because her skirt wasn't long enough or her hijab wasn't thick enough."

When asked whether a politician should theoretically be held responsible for people being inspired by their speeches and going to protests, Kalesnikava posed a counter-question:

"And do the media bear responsibility for providing information about what is happening?"

Maria emphasized: responsibility for actions lies with those who commit them, and those who direct those who commit them.

Recalling 2020, she noted:

"It's difficult for me to imagine that people who decided to vote in 2020 and generally go to the elections had any illusions about the country they lived in. (...)

It's difficult for me to imagine that people didn't know that there had been political prisoners in Belarus before. It's difficult for me to imagine that they didn't know what happened in 2006 or 2010. And how many people throughout that time (...) were subjected to repression.

It seems to me that there were no such people in 2020 who would not have possessed such information."

"Are real changes in Belarus possible without the accountability of those who are currently committing crimes?" — Kalesnikava was asked.

She remarked: accountability for crimes must exist, as this is normal for a legal state.

"In 2020, what Maxim Znak called a legal default occurred, when laws ceased to operate. That's when there is no accountability.

But if we are talking about a Belarus where the law will operate, and the law will operate for everyone, then of course, accountability for crime will also operate for everyone."

Why does Kalesnikava propose talking to Lukashenka? "Look into the eyes of political prisoners' relatives"

One of the hosts remarked that, as it turns out, Maria is now calling for dialogue with those who are responsible for these crimes.

Kalesnikava replied that it's not about "friendship" or agreement with the authorities' policies. She emphasized that she means "the necessity of resuming diplomatic initiatives" and "starting a conversation at all about the situation Belarus is currently in." She noted that the European Union has many levers of influence over Lukashenka.

For Maria personally, three goals are very important: the release of all political prisoners; a complete halt to repressions; and lifting Belarus's isolation.

Explaining why she insists on the necessity of a conversation, Kalesnikava drew attention to her own experience:

"An example of the start of a diplomatic initiative is sitting before you right now. If someone hadn't started talking to someone at some point, then I and many people, most likely, would not yet be free. And if there is such a chance, even one percent, that such initiatives will help other people get free and help change this repressive machine, stop it, it seems to me, it's worth talking about."

"We perfectly understand that now Lukashenka makes all decisions for everything that happens in Belarus. He is the only one on whom the lives of other people depend. And if it's important for us to save the lives of other people, then we must talk to him."

The former political prisoner noted that it is easy to criticize her, but she suggested turning to the families of political prisoners:

"Maybe it's worth talking to the relatives of political prisoners who have been imprisoned for more than five years? Maybe we should ask them: do you want us to start this diplomatic initiative or not? Let's ask them. Let's look them in the eyes and see."

Kalesnikava recalled her family's experience, who didn't believe her release was possible but continued to fight.

"Now the situation is what it is. We don't like it. I don't like it either.

But Lukashenka makes decisions about people's lives. If people can be saved, then they must be saved. These are the most important human and pan-European values, global values that made us a civilization.

Save people, full stop. There are no other explanations, no other attempts to approach this,"

Maria expressed her position and explained why Lukashenka might be interested in this:

"Probably, he also wants something from the European Union. But to find out what your interlocutor wants, you need to ask him. Now, probably no one, except Trump, has any idea what Lukashenka needs. Because no one simply talks to him."

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