Lech Kaczynski’s Chancellery about Belarus: “Either respect for human rights, or isolation”

Poland warns the regime of Lukashenka may face isolation if respect for human rights is not demonstrated.

Mariusz Handzlik, the head of the Office of Foreign Affairs in the Presidential Chancellery of Poland , addressed the Belarusian authorities on occasion of the rights of national minorities and human rights in an interview to the Polish media. According to him, official Minsk has to choose: either respect for human rights, or isolation, Radio Svaboda reports.

Mariusz Handzlik stressed the recent events in the town of Ivyanets is not the only example of violation of the rights of ethnic Poles in Belarus.

“This is a part of a wider problem we can observe for a long time,” Handzlik reminded.

“The authorities violate the norms of the Council of Europe and OSCE, though Belarus is a member of these organizations,” the head of the Office of Foreign Affairs in the Presidential Chancellery of Poland said.

According to Mariusz Handzlik, Warsaw will defend the rights of the Polish minority at EU forums as well.

We remind that on February 17, Sejm of Poland adopted a resolution condemning actions of the Belarusian authorities. “Taking into account the new wave of repressions against the Union of Poles in Belarus and Union’s activists, the parliament finds it necessary to return to sanctions in relation to Belarus,” says the resolution proposed by Marshal of the Sejm Bronislaw Komorowski.