Kaczynski’s advisor: Situation with Poles in Belarus is the worst in the world

Polish politicians condemned the situation around the Polish minority in Belarus.

Michal Dworczyk, the advisor of the Polish President n Poles living abroad, told Euroradio Belarus is the only country in the world where the Poles face so many violations of their rights and freedoms.

“The Poles in Belarus have found themselves in a very hard situation. Of course, sometimes Poles and people of Polish origin have some problems in other countries, both European and non-European. Sometimes human rights are violated and European standards are not met. But such a brutal situation with Poles can be observed nowhere in the world but in Belarus,” Michal Dworczyk said.

Maciej Plazynski, the deputy Marshal of the Senate (the upper house of the Polish Parliament), told in an interview to Polskie Radio he protested against seizure of the Polish House in Ivyanest by Belarusian militia. Plazynski reminded that it was one of three houses in Belarus headed by the Union of Poles in Belarus and its head Andzelika Borys, unrecognized by the Belarusian authorities. 16 Polish Houses have been built in Belarus on costs of the Polish state since the 1990ies.

According to Maciej Plazynski, the events in Ivyanets are an example of political repressions against national minorities in Belarus. Vice-Marshal of the Senate says the events in Ivyanets look odd against the background of foreign minister Syarhei Martynau’s visit to Poland. The Belarusian official is to leave for Warsaw on February 12.

We remind that Polish Ambassador to Belarus Henryk Litwin has been recalled to Warsaw. The decision was taken by the Polish Foreign Minister in connection with seizure of the Polish House in Ivyanets by the Belarusian authorities.

Yesterday in Ivyanets (Minsk region), militiamen and officers of court burst into the Polish House, owned by the unrecognized by the Belarusian authorities Union of Poles. Officers of court attached the property. The building was surrounded by militiamen. Activists of the Union of Poles were forced away from the building. After that militiamen got Stanislau Buracheuski, appointed head of the Ivyanets pro-governmental Union of Poles, into the building.

The previous conflict related to the Polish House in Ivyanets happened late January. The authorities tried to hold a congress there in order to replace the head of the local branch of the Union of Poles not recognized by the authorities, Tereza Sobal (Teresa Sobol). Dozens of organization’s activists were detained on the way to Ivyanets.

The Union of Poles was split in 2005. Its part which was loyal to the regime is officially recognized. Activists of the UPB not recognized by the authorities headed by Andzelika Borys are subject to crackdown by the authorities.