Libereco handed over 9500 signatures of a petition for the release of the imprisoned Swiss citizen to the FDFA on Friday 20 November. In the afternoon, two vigils were held at the Belarusian Embassy and at the Casino Square in Bern

Vigil in Bern

Natallia Hersche, a Swiss-Belarusian dual citizen from St. Gallen, was arrested at a women’s rally in Minsk on 19 September and has been in custody since then. The Swiss ambassador to Belarus was allowed to visit her in prison for the first time on her birthday on 20 October.

As part of the Libereco campaign #WeStandBYyou, the St. Gallen National Councillor Barbara Gysi (SP) has taken over the prisoner’s godparenthood for Natallia Hersche and is actively campaigning for her release. She has done so both in direct talks with the Belarusian ambassador in Switzerland and, together with 17 members of parliament from the SP, Greens, CVP and EVP, in an open letter to the Belarusian authorities.

Natallia Hersche: A political prisoner in Belarus

Libereco regards Natallia Hersche as a political prisoner whose arrest was completely arbitrary and whose continued detention is politically motivated. Natallia Hersche and the more than 125 political prisoners in Belarus cannot expect a fair trial. Libereco, together with the Razam association recently founded by Belarusians in Switzerland, organised two vigils on Friday in front of the Belarusian Embassy and on the Casino Square in Bern.

“With the vigils we want to send a clear signal to Belarus that we demand the immediate release of Natallia Hersche and all other political prisoners in Belarus. We also call on Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, on behalf of the more than 9500 signatories of our petition, to contact Mr Lukashenko directly to secure the release of Natallia Hersche. The first trial date has been announced for 3 December – Federal Councillor Cassis should do everything in his power to ensure that Natallia Hersche is released by then at the latest and can be back with her family in Switzerland by Christmas”, said Lars Bünger, President of the Swiss section of Libereco.