Charlemagne Prize 2022
Maria Kalesnikava personally receives the 2022 International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen
In a special ceremony today, the civil rights activist Maria Kalesnikava was personally presented with the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen, which had been awarded to her in absentia in 2022, by her sister Tatsiana Khomich. The Belarusian opposition figure and musician had been released from political imprisonment in Belarus in December 2025. In Aachen’s Coronation Hall, representatives from politics, civil society and culture paid tribute to her commitment to democracy, human rights and a free Belarus.
Aachen’s Lord Mayor Dr Michael Ziemons opened the ceremony with a welcome address and the laudatory speech for Maria Kalesnikava. He highlighted her extraordinary courage and steadfastness in the struggle for freedom and the rule of law: “Maria Kalesnikava has paid a high price for her commitment to freedom and democracy: more than 600 days in detention without contact with family or legal counsel, solitary confinement, denied medical care and repeated transfers to punishment cells. And yet, in the courtroom in September 2021, when she received her verdict and stood behind bars like in a cage, she made a gesture that went far beyond that moment: with bound hands she formed a heart. That heart has become a symbol – for Belarus, for Europe and for the strength of a human will that does not bow to injustice. Ms Kalesnikava, it was your heart. But it beats for all of us.”
Presentation of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen
At the centre of the ceremony was the symbolic presentation of the Charlemagne Prize. Maria Kalesnikava’s sister, Tatsiana Khomich, had accepted the award on her behalf in 2022 and now formally handed it over to the 2022 laureate. Afterwards, Kalesnikava signed the Golden Book of the City of Aachen.
In her speech, Kalesnikava thanked her sister Tatsiana Khomich for her commitment and tireless efforts and acknowledged the support from Germany and across Europe as an encouraging signal for all those who stand up for freedom and human dignity in Belarus and elsewhere: “This prize stands for an idea: for European unity, solidarity and freedom. For me – as a Belarusian and a former political prisoner – these words have a very personal meaning. This prize does not belong to me alone. It belongs to everyone who believed, who fought and who did not give up. […] I thank Germany – its government and its people – for the opportunity to live and work here in safety. For someone who has just come out of prison, this means more than words can express. […] Democracy lives from people speaking out. From taking responsibility. From standing up for one another. Sometimes the voice of aggression seems the loudest – the voice of hatred, the voice of fear. That is an illusion. […] Our voices must be stronger. The voice of freedom. The voice of dignity. The voice of solidarity.”
Armin Laschet, the new Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Directorate and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Bundestag, presented a specially designed Charlemagne Prize plaque to Tatsiana Khomich. It recognised her personal commitment as the voice of her imprisoned sister and as a representative of Belarusian civil society. “We must not forget Belarus amid all the crises of these days. Tatsiana Khomich has been committed to this cause for many years. Belarus lies on our doorstep, not on America’s. Europe must finally assume a strong diplomatic role in the world. This also means confidently and resolutely opening our own diplomatic paths towards Belarus for human rights and freedom,” said Laschet.
Political and musical programme and a cultural perspective from Belarus
The ceremony was accompanied by a panel discussion with Kalesnikava, the former Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Claudia Roth, and the former Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel, moderated by the former ZDF presenter Claus Kleber. The discussion addressed the situation in Belarus, Kalesnikava’s personal story and the role of European public awareness and political sponsorships within the framework of the German Bundestag programme “Parliamentarians Protect Parliamentarians”. Since 2003, this programme has supported threatened foreign members of parliament as well as human rights defenders through international solidarity, public attention and personal sponsorships. Roth and Rachel had assumed sponsorship for Kalesnikava during her imprisonment.
The event was accompanied musically by three works by the prominent Belarusian composer and organist Olga Podgaiskaya, performed by her at the piano together with the Five-Storey Ensemble, which she directs. Her compositions and the ensemble’s performances offered an impressive artistic perspective on the cultural diversity and creative potential of Belarusian society.
Maria Kalesnikava
Maria Kalesnikava, born in Minsk in 1982, completed a soloist’s degree in flute in her hometown before studying early and contemporary music in Stuttgart. Prior to her arrest, she served as Artistic Director of the cultural centre “OK-16” in Minsk. In 2020, Kalesnikava became one of the most prominent voices of the democratic movement in Belarus. Together with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo, she formed an internationally noted trio of women leading the resistance against the long-time ruler Alexander Lukashenko. For their commitment, the three were jointly awarded the Charlemagne Prize in 2022. After refusing exile abroad, Kalesnikava was arrested during the protest movement in September 2020 and later sentenced to eleven years in prison. Internationally, she was regarded as a political prisoner and endured harsh conditions of detention. In December 2025, following negotiations between the Belarusian regime and a US envoy, Kalesnikava was pardoned together with several other opposition figures. Shortly afterwards, she travelled to Germany at the invitation of the German authorities.
Maria Kalesnikava über Haft, Freiheit und die Zukunft von Belarus
im Gespräch mit Armin Laschet, Vorsitzender des Karlspreisdirektoriums
Please confirm
Please click the button to download the video from YouTube.
In the process, data is transmitted to YouTube.
By clicking the button, you agree to this.
You can find more information in our privacy policy.
View Video