She’s not a new hostage — just new to this list. In fact, it was five years ago today, on September 7, 2020, that Belarusian musician and political activist Marya Kalesnikava was kidnapped in Belarus, forcefully transported into Ukrainian territory, managed to escape, tore her passport to pieces, and walked back to Belarus.

Once there, she was immediately arrested, as was her attorney, Maksim Zak.

Kalesnikava, a professional flautist, had done nothing more than work with political groups in opposition to Belarus’ dictatorial leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko.

On September 11, 2020, Amnesty International recognized Kalesnikava as a prisoner of conscience. A year later, on September 6, 2021, she was sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony for her political activity.

Now her sister, Tatsiana Homich, has spoken about her hope that Kalesnikava may soon be released as part of an agreement being negotiated between Lukashenko and Donald Trump, who has optimistically forecast:

“I believe they’re going to be releasing a lot of those 1,400 [presently held in Belarus] . . . in the pretty near future.” [Ray Furlong, RFE/RL, September 7, 2025.]

If Trump is not exaggerating, and if Lukashenko proves to be true to his word, it could mean the end of Marya Kalesnikava’s long nightmare. Let’s hope so. In the meantime, she joins our list of those for whom the fight continues.

*. *. *

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Prisoners of War:

The People of Ukraine
The Azov 12

Endangered Exiles:

Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
— Farid Mehralizada
— Ulvi Hasanli
— Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
— Mahammad Kekalov
— Hafiz Babali
— Nargiz Absalamova
— Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Ales Bialiatski
Andrei Chapiuk
Marya Kalesnikava
Uladzimir Labkovich
Ihar Losik
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Russia:

David Barnes
Gordon Black
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland

May you all be home soon.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/7/25