Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova was handed the Charlemagne Prize in person on Saturday, after having been awarded the honour in absentia in May 2022.
The ceremony took place in the western German city of Aachen, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The Charlemagne Prize is given to individuals who have contributed to European unity.
Kolesnikova received the prize alongside fellow Belarusian opposition figures Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo. The three were recognised for their efforts in defending democratic rights, campaigning for free elections and promoting respect for human dignity in Belarus.
She was unable to attend the 2022 ceremony because she had been arrested two years earlier amid Minsk’s crackdown on a wave of opposition protests. Kolesnikova was released in mid-December 2025 after international pressure and a US-brokered agreement with Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko.
At Aachen city hall, Kolesnikova delivered a speech in German. German authorities have granted her political asylum, and she now lives in Berlin. She had previously lived in Germany for 13 years before her arrest.
The ceremony was attended by her sister, Tatsiana Khomich. Kolesnikova used the occasion to urge European politicians to open dialogue with Lukashenko, saying the European Union has significant leverage over Minsk.