Open letter: Swiss National Councillors and Councillors of States demand the release of Natallia Hersche
In an open letter 86 Swiss Members of Parliament address the Belarusian Foreign Minister Makei and demand the release of Natallia Hersche and more than 240 other political prisoners in Belarus.
Natallia Hersche’s hearing in the court of appeal will take place in Minsk on 16 February. The Swiss-Belarusian dual citizen was sentenced to a draconian prison term of 2 years and 6 months in an unfair trial on 7 December 2020.
Barbara Gysi, National Councillor from St. Gallen, has taken over a prisoner godparenthood for Natallia Hersche at the request of the German-Swiss human rights organisation Libereco and states: “By taking part in the rally, Natallia Hersche was merely exercising a democratic right. This draconian punishment is unjust and inhumane. The sentence must be cancelled immediately and Natallia Hersche must be released.”
According to information available to Libereco, including Natallia Hersche, more than 240 political prisoners are currently imprisoned in Belarus. In over 70 cases, prison sentences in total of more than 220 years have already been imposed.
Prior to the hearing in the court of appeal, 83 Members of Parliament from the National Council and the Council of States addressed Belarusian Foreign Minister Makei and demanded the release of Natallia Hersche and all other political prisoners in Belarus. The Open Letter is supported by Members of Parliament from all parliamentary groups in the Federal Parliament.
You’ll find the PDF-version of the open letter here.
Open Letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Mr. Vladimir Makei
Dear Foreign Minister Makei
On 16 February 2021, the appeal hearing of Natallia Hersche, a Swiss citizen, is scheduled to take place in Minsk. Ms Hersche was arbitrarily arrested on 19 September 2020 at a peaceful women’s rally in Minsk. During her violent arrest, she had, according to her own statement, “in fear of her life”, pulled the mask off the face of a masked security guard, who was not identified as such, and scratched him in the process.
At first instance, Natallia Hersche, a dual Swiss-Belarusian citizen, was found guilty on 7 December 2020 of a crime under Article 363 of the Belarusian Criminal Code (resisting a police officer) and sentenced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment.
According to Belarusian and Swiss human rights organisations, the persecution of Natallia Hersche is politically motivated and Ms Hersche is to be considered a political prisoner. We agree with this assessment and are of the opinion that Natallia Hersche has not committed any crime that would justify a prison sentence.
This is because the spontaneous protest in which she participated was exclusively peaceful. Such a protest must be protected by the Belarusian authorities according to paragraph 131 of the OSCE Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly. The detention of the participants of the peaceful assembly by members of the Belarusian Ministry of Interior went far beyond the state’s “obligation to protect public order” and thus violated OSCE international standards.
The trial of Natallia Hersche at first instance took place in violation of the principles of a fair trial. Injuring a police officer by scratching his face is to be considered negligent and is not punishable to that extent. The sentence of 2 years and 6 months imprisonment imposed is disproportionate to the offence for which Ms Hersche was found guilty. Especially when compared to other similar cases, it becomes obvious that the first instance verdict is politically motivated.
We therefore call on you to ensure that the appeal hearing of Natallia Hersche is conducted free of political motives but according to international standards of a fair trial. With the appeal hearing, the Belarusian authorities now have the opportunity to revoke the unlawful sentence of the first instance and to convert the prison sentence into a fine.
We call on you in your capacity as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus to ensure that Natallia Hersche is released at the latest after the pronouncement of the verdict of the appellate court. As a Swiss citizen, Ms Hersche must be allowed to return to Switzerland without delay.
It is with great dismay that we have learned in recent months of more than 33,000 arrests of Belarusian citizens and of reports of hundreds of victims of ill-treatment and torture by Belarusian security forces. We call on you and all Belarusian state authorities to immediately end the intimidation, persecution and detention of peaceful demonstrators, opposition activists, human rights defenders, students and media representatives.
The imprisonment of political prisoners and the persecution of political dissidents are serious violations of human rights, which Belarus, as a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has undertaken to respect.
We would like to remind you of these international obligations of your country and call on you to grant the fundamental human rights to freedom of expression and assembly to all people in Belarus without restrictions.
The imprisonment of Natallia Hersche and of more than 240 other political prisoners is a serious strain on foreign policy relations between Switzerland and Belarus. In order to improve bilateral relations, it is essential that the Belarusian authorities release Natallia Hersche and all other political prisoners!
As members of the Swiss National Council and Council of States, we stand firmly by the side of all people who are engaged and protesting for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Belarus.
Yours sincerely
Barbara Gysi, National Councillor, Canton of St. Gall
Claudia Friedl, National Councillor, Canton of St. Gall
Nicolo Paganini, National Councillor, Canton of St. Gall
Benedikt Würth, Counsillor of States, Canton of St. Gall
Franziska Ryser, National Councillor, Canton of St. Gall
Paul Rechsteiner, Counsillor of States, Canton of St. Gall
Beat Flach, National Councillor, Canton of Argovia
Cédric Wermuth, National Councillor, Canton of Argovia
Gabriela Suter, National Councillor, Canton of Argovia
Lilian Studer, National Councillor, Canton Argovia
Marianne Binder-Keller, National Councillor, Canton of Argovia
Daniel Fässler, Counsillor of States, Canton of Appenzell Inner-Rhodes
Eric Nussbaumer, National Councillor, Canton of Basle-Country
Samira Marti, National Councillor, Canton of Basle-Country
Maya Graf, Counsillor of States, Canton of Basle-Country
Florence Brenzikofer, National Councillor, Canton of Basle-City
Mustafa Atici, National Councillor, Canton of Basle-City
Sibel Arslan, National Councillor, Canton of Basle-City
Eva Herzog, Counsillor of States, Canton of Basle-City
Christa Markwalder, National Councillor, Canton of Berne
Christine Badertscher, National Councillor, Canton of Berne
Lorenz Hess, National Councillor, Canton of Berne
Marianne Streiff-Feller, National Councillor, Canton of Berne
Regula Rytz, National Councillor, Canton of Berne
Tamara Funiciello, National Councillor, Canton of Berne
Hans Stöckli, Counsillor of States, Canton of Berne
Christian Levrat, Counsillor of States, Canton of Friburg
Ursula Schneider Schüttel, National Councillor, Canton of Friburg
Marie-France Roth Pasquier, National Councillor, Canton of Friburg
Christian Dandrès, National Councillor, Canton of Geneva
Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini, National Councillor, Canton of Geneva
Isabelle Pasquier-Eichenberger, National Councillor, Canton of Geneva
Laurence Fehlmann Rielle, National Councillor, Canton of Geneva
Michel Matter, National Councillor, Canton of Geneva
Stefania Prezioso Batou, National Councillor, Canton of Geneva
Nicolas Walder, National Councillor, Canton of Geneva
Carlo Sommaruga, Counsillor of States, Canton of Geneva
Lisa Mazzone, Counsillor of States, Canton of Geneva
Jon Pult, National Councillor, Canton of Grisons
Sandra Locher Benguerel, National Councillor, Canton of Grisons
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, National Councillor, Canton of Jura
Charles Juillard, Counsillor of States, Canton of Jura
Pierre-Alain Fridez, National Councillor, Canton of Jura
Michael Töngi, National Councillor, Canton of Lucerne
Prisca Birrer-Heimo, National Councillor, Canton of Lucerne
Damien Cottier, National Councillor, Canton of Neuchâtel
Fabien Fivaz, National Councillor, Canton of Neuchâtel
Philippe Bauer, Counsillor of States, Canton of Neuchâtel
Erich Ettlin, Counsillor of States, Canton of Obwald
Martina Munz, National Councillor, Canton of Schaffhouse
Felix Wettstein. National Councillor, Canton of Soleure
Franziska Roth, National Councillor, Canton of Soleure
Roberto Zanetti, Counsillor of States, Canton of Soleure
Stefan Müller-Altermatt, National Councillor, Canton of Soleure
Bruno Storni, National Councillor, Canton of Tessin
Greta Gysin, National Councillor, Canton of Tessin
Rocco Cattaneo, National Councillor, Canton of Tessin
Marina Carobbio, Counsillor of States, Canton of Tessin
Jakob Stark, Counsillor of States, Canton of Thurgovia
Ada Marra, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Brigitte Crottaz, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Daniel Brélaz, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
François Pointet, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Isabelle Moret, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Jean-Pierre Grin, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Laurent Wehrli, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Pierre-Yves Maillard, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Roger Nordmann, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Samuel Bendahan, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Sophie Michaud Gigon, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Valentine Python, National Councillor, Canton of Vaud
Olivier Français, Counsillor of States, Canton of Vaud
Benjamin Roduit, National Councillor, Canton of Wallis
Matthias Michel, Counsillor of States, Canton of Zoug
Balthasar Glättli, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Barbara Schaffner, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Céline Widmer, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Corina Gredig, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Doris Fiala, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Fabian Molina, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Katharina Prelicz-Huber, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Martin Haab, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Mattea Meyer, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Meret Schneider, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Min Li Marti, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Priska Seiler Graf, National Councillor, Canton of Zurich
Bern, 10 February 2021