#WeStandBYyou: New godparents from Germany and Latvia
Holger Mann, Antoņina Ņenaševa and Sara Nanni have become godparents to political prisoners in Belarus.
As part of our #WeStandBYyou campaign, Holger Mann (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, Germany), Antoņina Ņenaševa (Progresīvie, Latvia) and Sara Nanni (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Germany) have become godparents to Aleh Supruniuk, Dzmitry Siuko and Maryna Leanovich.
Aleh Supruniuk is a well-respected journalist in the Brest region who disappeared in January 2025. When his colleagues had not heard from him for over five months, it became clear that he had been arrested as part of a criminal investigation. On June 4, 2025, the Brest Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced that a criminal case under Article 361-1(3) (“Participation in an extremist association”) of the Criminal Code had been referred to the court. According to the prosecutor’s office, as a member of the “extremist association,” he authored at least 43 articles that were published online. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Holger Mann has been a member of the German Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party of Germany since 2021. This is his first sponsorship of a political prisoner in Belarus. He expresses his commitment to free journalism and democracy as follows: “As a freelance journalist, Aleh Supruniuk has championed the protection of democratic rights and freedoms in Belarus. My full solidarity and support go out to him and all others who, because of their commitment to democracy, are suffering under the repression and persecution of Lukashenko’s regime. I condemn Supruniuk’s detention in the strongest terms; through my sponsorship, I am committed to ensuring that he and his fellow prisoners receive justice. For the conditions under which opposition activists like Supruniuk are being held are unacceptable. Our government must work with our European partners to exert pressure on the Belarusian government to ensure the release of all those detained for political reasons.”
Dzmitry Siuko is a Latvian citizen who, in 2022, at the age of 45, was sentenced to an indefinite term of imprisonment under Article 369 of the Criminal Code (“Insulting a Government Official”). He was ordered to undergo compulsory treatment at a psychiatric clinic under strict supervision. His exact whereabouts are unknown.
Antoņina Ņenaševa is a board member and founding member of the Progresīvie party in Latvia. This is her third godparenthood, and she speaks out for political prisoners as follows: “The attention of the world is vital for the survival of political prisoners. I served as a ‘godmother’ to former political prisoner Anastasia Pakataškina in a campaign by the human rights organization LIBERECO – Partnership for Human Rights, to ensure we do not turn away in the face of injustice.
I will continue to take part in this campaign, and I would like to highlight the case of Dzmitry Siuko. He is a Latvian citizen who was imprisoned by Lukashenko in 2021. The Lukashenko regime uses totalitarian methods to dehumanize people, and Dzmitry has been subjected to forced psychiatric treatment simply for speaking out against the regime.
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Last week, the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) decided to rehabilitate Latvian citizens who were persecuted by Soviet authorities through the abuse of psychiatry. Dzmitry, too, deserves freedom and full rehabilitation.”
Maryna Leanovich was taken into custody in late 2023 at the age of 28 when she returned to Belarus from her new homeland of Georgia for unknown reasons. The trial began on October 11, 2024, at the Minsk Court. On January 14, 2025, she was sentenced by Judge Yelena Shylko to five years in prison under Article 361-2 (“Financing of extremist activities”) and Article 361-3 (“Participation in or preparation for participation in hostilities on foreign soil”) of the Belarusian Criminal Code.
Sara Nanni has been a member of the German Bundestag for Alliance 90/The Greens since 2021. She is deeply committed to supporting political prisoners in Belarus. This is already her third sponsorship as part of the #WeStandBYyou campaign, and she states: “Every day in Belarus, courageous people show us what it means to stand up for freedom, democracy, and human rights. In doing so, they risk their freedom and accept mistreatment, violence, and draconian prison sentences. One of them is Maryna Leanovich, who has been in prison since October 2023.
Her detention is linked to donations that the Belarusian authorities consider support for “extremist activities.” Maryna may have donated to Ukraine. She was sentenced to five years in prison and was also officially added to the list of individuals deemed to be involved in “extremist activities.” This classification has far-reaching consequences—it means additional repression, social stigmatization, and harsher living conditions even after release. Her case is emblematic of the persecution of people in Belarus who are accused of serious crimes based on donations, political views, or support for Ukraine.
As a member of the German Bundestag, I am taking on her case and stand in solidarity with all those whose critical voices are being silenced. The Belarusian authorities must immediately release Maryna Leanovich and all other political prisoners! Belarus must end the massive human rights violations and immediately prepare for democratic, free, and fair elections.“
(*Update: As of 19 March, Aleh Supruniuk was released from detention)