Poland forbids more than 10 Belarusian officials to enter the country

Having met Lech Kaczyński, the Foreign Minister of Poland Radosław Sikorski claimed that the President has approved the plan of actions of the Polish government concerning Belarus. However, Radosław Sikorski decided to keep the plan a secret.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already fulfilled the first paragraph of the plan – “the black list” of Belarusian officials forbidden to enter Poland will come into power on the night of February 16, said the head of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to journalists.

Radosław Sikorski: “The persons who took part in the dissent of the democratically elected Union of Poles in Belarus and the Belarusian officials controlling actions of the police will be forbidden to enter Poland starting from midnight on Monday. They will not be given visas. There are about 20 people on the list”.

The other measures will remain in “the standby mode” for now. Poland gives the Belarusian authorities a chance to change the tactics and start realizing “the desire of good relations with Poland” Syarhei Martynau mentioned in Warsaw in practice.

Radosław Sikorski: “It is still possible to leave the wrong way. We would be very glad if it happened. However, we have already started realizing our actions in response to the negative scenario”.
Kaczyński to write letter to Lukashenka

The Polish President will ask to deal with “the crisis situation” of the Polish minority in Belarus (being updated)

The Polish President Lech Kaczyński will write a personal letter to Alyaksandr Lukashenka asking him to settle the “crisis situation” of the Polish minority in Belarus. The Chief of the Chancellery of the Polish President Władysław Stasiak informed journalists about it at a briefing that followed the meeting of Lech Kaczyński and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski.
Władysław Stasiak: “We should take measures that would be adequate for the situation and allow our partner to understand that we are not joking and that the crisis situation should be settled as soon as possible”.

According to Władysław Stasiak, the Polish President is waiting for definite and effective actions at the forum of the European Union, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development as well as any other organizations that interested in this issue. These steps were discussed by the Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and the Polish President Lech Kaczyński at the meeting in the President’s Palace.

Kaczyński’s adviser: The President is indignant at the situation of Poles in Belarus

The Polish President Lech Kaczyński has condemned the numerous detentions and trials of activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus not recognized by the authorities today. The President’s assistant on compatriots’ affaires abroad Mihal Dvorchak has assured ERB that Warsaw’s official policy concerning Minsk will change dramatically.
Mihal Dvorchak: “Mr. President is indignant at the situation and its development. The situation we are observing now is absolutely shocking!  Such events are unlikely to promote improvement of relations between Poland and Belarus and they complicate any further negotiations. We have had enough policy bringing no effect!”
 Buzek: European Parliament prepares resolution on Belarus

The European Parliament will adopt a resolution on Belarus in connection with detentions of members of the Union of Poles. The head of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek has claimed it.

“An official session of the Parliament, a so-called “mini-session”, will take place next week. I foresee the inclusion of the paragraph “Discussion of the situation in Belarus” on the agenda alongside with the adoption of the corresponding document – a resolution”, - informs a Polish portal TVN.24.pl quoting Jerzy Buzek.

According to the head of the European Parliament, a project of another resolution is being prepared. In Buzek’s opinion, it will contain criticism of the actions of the Belarusian authorities directed at the Union of Poles headed by Anzhalika Borys. Furthermore, the European Parliament considers the repressions against the Union of Poles to be an attack directed at the opposition in general. Thus, according to Buzek, he has appointed a meeting with the leader of the Movement “For Freedom” Alyaksandr Milinkevich for Tuesday. He will also meet Anzhalika Borys next week.

Anzhalіka Borys fined for Br1 million, four other UPB activists imprisoned for 5 days

The leader of the unofficial Union of Poles in Belarus Anzhalika Borys has been fined for 30 base amounts (1 million 50 thousand rubles). Lenin District Court of Hrodna  has returned her guilty of organization of an unauthorized meeting in support of Ivyanets affiliate of the UPB headed by Teresa Sobal on February 10.

The head of the headquarters of the UPB Andrei Pachobut has been arrested for the organization of the meeting for five days.

Activists of the organization Ihar Bantsar, Mechyslay Yaskevich and Andrei Pisalnik have also been sentenced to 5 days of detention today.

On the whole, as BelaPAN informs, about 40 activists of the association have been detained in different places of Belarus today. They were heading for Valozhyn District Court to support the leader of Ivyanets affiliate of the UPB Teresa Sobal. All of them were released soon afterwards.
Anzhalika Borys claimed that her meeting with the Polish President Lech Kaczyński may not take place due to the arrests of UPB activists. Ms. Borys was going to visit Warsaw this week; the meeting was initiated by the Polish President.

Leaders of Union of Poles stand trial in Hrodna

Six leaders of the unrecognized Union of Poles have been detained by the police today, on February 15.

Hrodna police detained the press secretary of the organization Ihar Bantsar first. Then they arrested the deputy chairperson Mechyslau Yaskevich and the head of the Council of the organization Andrei Pachobut on the way to Minsk. The head of the Union of Poles Anzhalika Borys was detained in Ivyanets a bit later. The leaders of the Union of Poles were supposed to reach Valozhyn together with other activists. The head of Ivyanets affiliate of the UPB Teresa Sobal will stand trial there today.
Andrei Pachobut is being taken back to Hrodna and Anzhalika Borys – to Valozhyn District police office. Ihar Bantsar and Mechyslau Yaskevich are in Hrodna court. ERB has managed to phone Ihar Bantsar during his trial.

– …violations… Іhar Ramanavіch … Supreme Court… will you plead guilty? Or will you not? Will you partially admit the fault?..

– No… I will not admit it to the full extent.

– Could you please tell us whether you are a member of some civil…
Then the phone call was cut off. Neither Ihar Bantsar nor Andrei Pachobut’s cell phones have been accessible since then.

In the photo: Radosław Sikorski