Pole's Card to be banned for army and Emergency Ministry

The “council of the republic” approved the amendments to some laws on military service.

In particular, law-makers approved the amendments restricting the right of service personnel and officers of emergency agencies to receive documents of foreign states that give them the rights to benefits and privileges in connection with their political and religious views and nationality as well as to use such benefits and privileges, unless otherwise provided by the international agreements signed by Belarus.

The Belarusian authorities don't hide the main reason for imposing the restrictions is the Card of the Pole, which is rather popular in Belarus. The holder of the card has non-civil rights set by the law on the Card of the Poles adopted by the Polish parliament on September 7, 2007.

The Ministry of Defence and the Emergency Ministry declined to give comments to charter97.org.

“I am not ready to answer this question right now. Unfortunately, my duties include communicating with registered mass media, but not with you,” Vitali Navitski, a spokesman for the Emergency Ministry, said to our correspondent.

Belarus began to struggle against the Pole's Card several years ago. Government officials were obliged to give up the Pole's Card to the personnel department, otherwise they can be fired.