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Area 15,600 square miles (40,400 square km)
Belarusian political prisoner Maria Kalesnikava has appeared in a photo with her father
in her first appearance since she disappeared from contact 21 months ago
who led huge 2020 protests against President Alexander Lukashenko
was imprisoned after she famously ripped up her passport as the Belarusian KGB tried to forcibly deport her
who is now serving an 11-year sentence in Homyel
was barred from contact with the outside world for months
leading her family and supporters to fear for her life
The photo shared Tuesday by Raman Pratasevich
the former head of a major Belarusian opposition Telegram channel who has cooperated with the regime since being abducted from a European flight in 2021
shows Kalesnikava and her father Alexander hugging each other
Details of under what conditions the meeting between Kolesnikova and her father took place remain unclear
AFP reported that two ex-prisoners released from the same colony said that Kalesnikava spent months in the harshest "PKT" type of punishment cell
told AFP that she was “worried for her life.”
Kalesnikava had lost weight after abdominal surgery in November 2022 but has now lost “even more,” unable to recover in harsh conditions and denied an appropriate diet
the letters stopped and the last one was dated Feb
Contact was also lost with other key imprisoned opposition figures
Kalesnikava is one of over 1,000 political prisoners in Belarus
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization
criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution
This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia
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independent journalism in the face of repression
Advocacy Hub - Students' Voices at the Human Rights Centre presents the second seminar of the academic year:&nbsp;"Silenced Voices and Violated Rights: The Voice of the Belarus Opposition"
at the Human Rights Centre "Antonio Papisca" of the University of Padova
The Advocacy Hub initiative led by students of the Master's program in Human Rights and Multi-Level Governance
provides a platformfor engaging in student-led seminars
and dialogues on contemporary human rights issues
It is developed in collaboration with the Human Rights Centre “Antonio Papisca” of the University of Padova.&nbsp;
leading human rights activist from&nbsp;Belarus and chairman of the Homieĺ branch of the Human Rights Center "Viasna."
He will discuss the harsh restrictions on freedom of expression
as well as the severe human rights violations&nbsp;occurring in the country
This event is organized in collaboration with human rights activists from the local&nbsp;Amnesty International Padova group and will be moderated by students from the&nbsp;HRMG Master's.&nbsp;
To attend the event, please register at the&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/vcUGHWtuAA8JQ3TM8">enrolment form</a>
in-room participation is limited to 50 people - selected on a first-come
Those who cannot attend in person can follow and actively participate via Zoom
A link to join will be sent closer to the date of the event
For any questions or clarifications, feel free to contact us at:<a href="mailto:advocacy.hub@unipd-centrodirittiumani.it">advocacy.hub@unipd-centrodirittiumani.it</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;