Kolesnikova states that government personnel stepped on a bag over her head and threatened her with death when they tore her out of the car and tried to deport her, reports the news agency Reuters.
- I was told that if I did not leave Belarus voluntarily, I would still be taken out, alive or in pieces.
There were also threats to imprison me for up to 25 years, says Kolesnikova in a statement via his lawyer.
Tear apart the passport
She managed to escape the deportation by tearing her passport and is now in custody in Minsk, where she is expected to be questioned on Thursday.
Kolesnikova's lawyer is now pursuing the case against Belarusian authorities, including the security services, who are accused of abduction.
Different versions
It was on Tuesday that the border police stated that Kolesnikova, together with his colleagues Ivan Kravtsov and Anton Rodnenkov, tried to cross the border between Belarus and Ukraine illegally and was therefore arrested, according to several news agencies.
But according to an opposition source, the politicians should not have tried to leave the country voluntarily, the news agency Interfax stated.