#WeStandBYyou: New Godparents from France, Switzerland and the European Parliament
Constance Le Grip, Barbara Gysi, Cédric Wermuth and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann have become godparents to political prisoners in Belarus.
As part of our #WeStandBYyou campaign, Constance Le Grip (Renaissance, France), Barbara Gysi (Sozialdemokratische Partei, Switzerland), Cédric Wermuth (Sozialdemokratische Partei, Switzerland) and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, European Parliament) have taken over the godparenthood for Alena Rudaya, Tatsiana Kolas, Siarhei Lisouski and Aliaksandr Danilevich.
Alena Rudaya was a doctor and head of department at a hospital in Minsk. In March 2025, she was arrested for “founding an extremist association” (Art. 361-1), “calling for actions that endanger national security” (Art. 361), and “insulting the president” (Art. 368). The length of her prison sentence is still unknown.
Constance Le Grip is a member of the French National Assembly with the party Renaissance. She expresses her support and commitment as follows: “Alena Rudaya, a Belarusian doctor, was imprisoned for peacefully expressing her opinion and prosecuted under broad and abusive provisions of the Belarusian Criminal Code. Her case is symbolic of the systematic repression of civil society in Belarus and the fate of many people who have been unjustly imprisoned for exercising their fundamental freedoms. She must be guaranteed full respect for her fundamental rights under all circumstances, as must all others who have been arbitrarily deprived of their liberty. I call for her immediate release and an end to the use of so-called “anti-extremism” legislation to silence peaceful dissidents.”
Tatsiana Kolas used to work for the Minsk City Executive Committee where she had access to the personal data of law enforcement officials which she disclosed to the Telegram channel “Black Book of Belarus”. At least that is what pro-government Telegram channels reported, after talking about her arrest on June 27, 2022. According to the same Telegram channels, she turned herself in. Since she was willing to cooperate, she was allowed to spent the time up to her trial at home. The trial began on September 22, 2022, the presiding judge was Alena Shylko who sentenced Tatsiana for illegal actions in relation to privacy information and personal data (Art. 203-1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code), inciting racial, national, religious or other social hatred or enmity (Art. 130 of the Belarusian Criminal Code), unlawful possession of computer information (Art. 352 of the Belarusian Criminal Code), and abuse of power or official authority (Art. 426 of the Belarusian Criminal Code). If she had not cooperated, she would have received a sentence of 12 years instead of 6.5 years, as reported by pro-government Telegram channels. She was included in the list of persons involved in terrorist activities as well, which makes it impossible for her to receive money in prison.
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Barbara Gysi is a member of Switzerland’s National Council, representing the Sozialdemokratische Partei of Switzerland. She became a godparent for “Tatsiana has demonstrated outstanding moral courage and was not afraid to stand up for justice which has led to her being sentenced to imprisonment under the harshest of conditions. This is both inhumane and unjust. Tatsiana and all other political prisoners must be released immediately without any conditions.”
Siarhei Lisouski was taken into custody in August 2021 on politically motivated, arbitrary terrorism charges (Art. 289 of the Belarusian Criminal Code). He is alleged to have met with officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and persuaded them not to follow criminal orders, thereby helping those who had been dismissed from service and feared prosecution to relocate. In 2023, he was sentenced by Judge Siarhei Khrypach to 20 years’ imprisonment in Hrodna. He was found guilty on half a dozen counts (Art. 342; Art. 364; Art. 361-1; Art. 289; Art. 359; Art. 357).
Cédric Wermuth has been a member of Switzerland’s National Council for the Sozialdemokratische Partei in various capacities since 2011. He has been part of the party’s executive committee since 2020. With his third sponsorship, he stands in solidarity with Siarhei Lisouski and states: “In August 2021, Siarhei Lisouski was arrested in Belarus and sentenced to 20 years in prison on politically motivated charges that contradict his commitment to peaceful change and dialogue. To raise awareness of these unacceptable human rights violations, I am taking on the sponsorship of Siarhei Lisouski as co-president of the SP Switzerland. Together with #WeStandBYyou from Libereco, we demand his immediate release and the release of all political prisoners in Belarus.”
Aliaksandr Danilevich, until his arrest on May 20, 2022, worked as a lawyer, judge, and lecturer. Shortly before his arrest, he signed an anti-war appeal together with other Belarusian lawyers. In response, the Bar Association initiated disciplinary proceedings against him and, despite decades of collaboration, he lost his position at the Institute of International Relations at Minsk State University. On April 10, 2023, he was finally sentenced to ten years in a penal colony under Article 361 (“calling for actions aimed at harming national security”) and Article 361-4 (“promoting extremist activities”) of the Belarusian Criminal Code.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann has been a member of the European Parliament with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe since 2024. This is the second time she has taken on a symbolic sponsorship, once again underscoring the importance of this commitment: “Aliaksandr Danilevich was deprived of his freedom because he stood up as a lawyer for the freedom of others—not just for his immediate clients. Together with other Belarusian lawyers, he signed a petition criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This brought him to the attention of the authoritarian Belarusian regime. Aliaksandr Danilevich is now paying a tremendous price for his courage in standing up for his convictions. As a democrat and, in particular, as a liberal, the protection of the rights and freedoms of each and every individual is a matter of particular concern to me. That is why I am happy to sponsor Aliaksandr Danilevich today and strongly demand not only his release from Belarusian captivity, but also that of his fellow campaigners. Aliaksandr Danilevich, I stand by you!”