Postcard Campaign for May 1 Freedom for Volha and Lee!

Thousands of colleagues around the world are being held in prisons run by authoritarian regimes—sometimes under inhumane conditions—because of their union work. Among them are Volha Brytsikava from Belarus and Lee Cheuk-yan from Hong Kong. On May 1, we are standing up for their freedom.

Volha Brytsikava is an independent trade unionist in Belarus. She is 56 years old and, until her arrest, was chair of the independent union of workers at the Naftan oil refinery. Volha protested against the rigged presidential election and the war in Ukraine. Fabricated charges were brought against Volha for “actions against national security,” “incitement to hatred,” and “supporting extremist activities.” Volha was sentenced to six years in a penal camp.

We ask for your support!

Lee Cheuk-yan is 69 years old and was the general secretary of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Democracy. The government forcibly dissolved the alliance in 2021. He has been in custody since that same year. His trial did not begin until January 2026, after more than 1,800 days without charges or a verdict. He is accused of subverting state power. In reality, he is on trial because, as a labor organizer, he supported strikes—such as those by dockworkers. Additionally, Lee Cheuk-yan served as vice-chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organized mass protests calling for free elections. The International Trade Union Confederation and Amnesty International are calling for solidarity. Many international trade union organizations have joined this call, including our global federation, industriALL Global Union.

We demand: 

• Freedom for Volha and Lee! Drop all charges
• Release trade unionists and all activists who are imprisoned for exercising their human rights
• Respect international human rights standards, including freedom of association and freedom of expression

We ask you:
Support the campaign for the release of Volha and Lee! Sign the postcards at the DGB rallies on May 1. Demand the immediate release of Lee Cheuk-yan from the Chinese Embassy and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office. The criminalization of trade unionists must be stopped!
Trade union work is an inalienable human right!

You can sign the petition for Lee Cheuk-yan here