Prominent Belarus activist claims authorities threatened to kill her

Maria Kolesnikova, one of Belarus’ opposition leaders (Tut.By via AP)

A prominent opposition activist who resisted her forcible expulsion from Belarus by ripping up her passport has accused authorities of threatening to kill her amid their efforts to end a month of protests against the country’s authoritarian president.

Maria Kolesnikova said in a formal complaint released by her lawyer that agents of Belarus’ state security committee put a bag on her head and drove her to the border with Ukraine before she fought her removal from Belarus and was jailed.