International Sports Court welcomes release of Alexander Danilewitsch from Belarus

Alexander Danilewitsch, a long‑time sports‑law judge, has been released from detention in Belarus after serving just over four years. He was arrested in Minsk in May 2022 and, in 2023, was sentenced to ten years for “calling for sanctions against Belarus and aiding extremism”; the sentence was later reduced to six years. The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which had designated Danilewitsch a political prisoner, announced his freedom and praised the decision. His release follows a declaration signed by a Belarusian law professor in February 2022 urging an end to the war in Ukraine.