Jailed Swiss-Belarus citizen on hunger strike in Minsk
Protesters take part in a rally against the presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, 18 October 2020.
Keystone / Str
Natallia Hersche, a Swiss-Belarus dual national who was jailed after participating in anti-government protests in Minsk last September, has been on hunger strike in prison for almost two weeks, it was confirmed on Sunday.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Русский
ru
Гражданка Швейцарии объявила голодовку в минской тюрьме
Hersche has reportedly been on hunger strike since February 22, according to Belarus news reports. The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed this information on Sunday. It told the Keystone-SDA news agency that the Swiss ambassador to Belarus, Claude Altermatt, had been informed by Hersche of her hunger strike when he last visited her in a Minsk prison on March 1.
The Swiss ambassador has expressed his concern about her health and has asked Hersche to end her hunger strike. The Swiss embassy in Minsk is in regular contact with her, the foreign ministry said.
The 52-year old dual national was arrested and handed a 30-month jail term in December for taking part in a women’s protest against the country’s president, Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk last September. She was sentenced to two-and-a-half-years in a penal colony for allegedly resisting state authority when being arrested.
According to the Libereco human rights organisation “during her violent arrest, she pulled the mask off the face of a security guard who was not identified as such, in mortal fear, and scratched him”. The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed the verdict.
Belarus has been shaken by protests ever since official results from the August 9 presidential election gave President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office by a landslide. The opposition and some poll workers have said the election was rigged.
Lukashenko’s government has unleashed a sweeping crackdown on post-election protests, the biggest of which attracted up to 200,000 people. Human rights activists say more than 30,000 people have been detained since the demonstrations began, with thousands beaten.
In January, a Swiss journalist was also briefly arrested by security forces in the streets of Minsk.
Popular Stories
More
Aging society
No house generation: the impossibility of buying property in Switzerland
Situation calm overnight above Swiss village facing avalanche
This content was published on
The situation in the Valais village of Blatten VS, which was threatened by a landslide, remained calm on Tuesday night. The anxiety continues, especially for the 300 evacuated residents.
This content was published on
Two ski tourers were caught in an avalanche on the Alphubel near Täsch, canton Valais, on Saturday and were fatally injured.
Most Swiss ready to steer clear of US products due to tariffs
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss and European consumers say they are prepared to opt out of buying American products like Coca-Cola and Nike in protest at US tariffs, a study shows.
This content was published on
The World Health Organization (WHO) boss, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says the Geneva-based UN agency has revised down its budget to $4.2 billion (CHF3.5 billion) for 2026-2027.
Swiss police break up major Chinese trafficking ring
This content was published on
Bern cantonal police have smashed a major human trafficking ring. Five people are accused of luring over 100 Chinese women to Switzerland to exploit them as sex workers.
Landslide threat: authorities order evacuation of Swiss mountain village
This content was published on
The local authorities have ordered the complete evacuation of the village of Blatten and its 300 residents due to "imminent" dangers.
Swiss health survey: 52% of men are overweight, 34% of women
This content was published on
The results of the Swiss Health Survey 2022 reveal clear differences between men and women: 55% of women and 44% of men live with at least one chronic illness.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss watchmaker shuns Belarus as ice hockey host
This content was published on
Swiss watchmaker Tissot wants the International Ice Hockey Federation to pull the planned world championships from Belarus.
Renewed calls for release of Swiss citizen in Belarus
This content was published on
A rights group has called on Belarus to release a Swiss-Belarus dual national convicted for taking part in anti-government protests.
Switzerland joins EU in sanctions against top Belarus officials
This content was published on
The Swiss government has imposed financial and travels sanctions against 40 former and current officials in Belarus following elections.
Swiss detained in Belarus freed after minister intervenes
This content was published on
Swiss man arrested during protests over the recent presidential election in Belarus has been freed, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis says.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.