Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Swiss citizen arrested in Belarus protests

Women holding a giant Belarussian flag
The wave of protests against the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko began in August. Keystone/Antonio Cotrim

Police in Belarus have arrested another Swiss citizen who allegedly took part in ongoing protests against the country’s embattled leader Alexander Lukashenko.

The Swiss foreign ministry on Saturday confirmed the detention of a dual Swiss-Belarussian national. The embassy in Minsk is in contact with the family and the local authorities.

However, the foreign ministry did not give further details.

The woman was reportedly arrested, along with more than other women in the Belarussian capital last Saturday, when they took part in a demonstration against Lukashenko.

The Swiss foreign ministry said it repeatedly called on the Belarussian authorities release all people detained and to uphold democracy, rule-of-law, and human rights.

Last month, another Swiss citizen was arrested for allegedly taking part in the street protests against the government. He was freed five days later following an intervention by the Swiss foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis.

Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have been protesting daily since the presidential elections on August 9. Both opposition members say the vote was rigged, and the United States and the European Union condemned the election as neither free nor fair.


Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

No Swiss bank in phase with environmental objectives

More

Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF

This content was published on None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.

Read more: Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF
UNRWA provides emergency assistance to just over one million Palestine refugees, or about 75 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Gaza, who lack the financial means to cover their basic food.

More

Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

This content was published on The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Read more: Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR