Another 31 MEPs have become symbolic "godfathers" of the Belarusian political prisoners, reports the human rights center Viasna. New deputies of the EU parliaments joined the action of solidarity with political prisoners #WeStandBYyou, organized by the organization Libereco.
Members of the Senate of the French Republic became the new godfathers of the seven Belarusian trade union leaders:
Éric Bocquet (Parti communiste français) - Artsiom Zharnak, SPM activist;
Édouard Courtial (Les Républicains) - Hennadz Fiadynich, former leader of the trade union REP;
Laurent Duplomb (Les Républicains) - Zinaida Mikhniuk , deputy chair of the REP trade union;
Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam (Les Républicains) - Aliaksandr Hashnikau, BNP activist;
André Gattolin (Groupe Rassemblement des démocrates, progressistes et indépendants) - Aliaksandr Mishuk, BNP vice-chairman;
Pascale Gruny (Les Républicains) - Andrei Khanevich, chairman of the BNP primary at Grodno Azot
Mickaël Vallet (Groupe Socialiste, Écologiste et Républicain) - Siarhei Antusevich, deputy chairman of the BKDP.
In July 2020, exactly one month before the presidential elections in Belarus on August 9, 2020, Libereco launched the #WeStandBYyou solidarity campaign. As part of this campaign, members of European parliaments take it upon themselves to sponsor political prisoners in a country neighboring the EU.