Maria Kolesnikova

It takes a considerable degree of courage to stand up to a dictator, particularly one as brutal as Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

After arresting and beating protesters who took to the streets in vast numbers calling for him to go, his regime now appears to have changed tactics, focusing on arresting leading opposition figures which has prompted some, quite understandably, to flee the country.

According to witnesses, Maria Kolesnikova, a member of the opposition Co-ordination Council, was snatched from a street in Minsk on Monday by a group of masked men. She was taken to the border with Ukraine and ordered to leave but reportedly ripped up her passport to prevent being forced into exile. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said he is “seriously concerned” for her welfare and that “Lukashenko’s regime must make her safe return their highest priority”. As her fate hangs in the balance, it is important that all those who value democracy and freedom know the name Maria Kolesnikova. Lukashenko needs to know the eyes of the world are on what happens next.