Swiss-Belarusian citizen Natallia Hersche released from prison

Bern, 18.02.2022 - Natallia Hersche was released from Mogilev Prison earlier today, after almost a year and a half in Belarusian prisons. She was met by Swiss ambassador Christine Honegger Zolotukhin and will arrive in Switzerland later today.

Her release comes after a year and a half of intensive efforts by the FDFA and its head, the President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis. Since Ms Hersche was arrested in September 2020 and sentenced to two and a half years in prison, the FDFA services responsible have been in close contact with her, her family and the Belarusian authorities in order to secure her release. She received consular assistance and representatives of the Swiss embassy in Minsk were able to visit her on fourteen occasions.

Mr Cassis, for his part, thanked all those involved and expressed his great sense of relief: "My staff and I are overjoyed that Natallia Hersche is finally free and able to return to Switzerland thanks to the tireless efforts of those involved. We wish her all the best and good health for the future."

Switzerland will remain committed to human rights, the release of other prisoners, the protection of freedom of expression and the investigation of human rights violations in Belarus.


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https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-87252.html