Authorities seized Polish House in Ivyanets from Union of Poles for good

The Polish House in Ivyanets will stay the property of the pro-regime Union of Poles in Belarus. The ruling of Valozhyn district court has been upheld by of Minsk regional court.

On March 11 the cassational appeal was studies by a judicial collegium for civil cases. Dozens of activists of the Union of Poles which is not recognized by the Belarusian authorities were in the courtroom. As noted by Radio Svaboda, many had arrived from Hrodna in order to support Tereza Sobal, the director of the Polish House in Ivyanets.

The complaint against Tereza Sobal was lodged by the pro-regime Union of Poles headed by Stanilsau Syamashka (Stanislaw Siemaszko). The ruling of Valozhyn court was the following: Sobal is to leave “unwarrantedly appropriated” premises. Though at the moment of the trail the Polish House was sealed, and no one could access the building, neither Tereza Sobal nor her supporters.

The representatives of the pro-regime UPB elected Stanislaw Buraczewski (Stanislau Buracheuski) as their new leader in Ivyanets. At the same time another meeting took place, where participants confirmed authorities of Tereza Sobal, who supports the independent unregistered Union of Poles headed by Andzelika Borys.

It should be noted that for the first time police were not detaining activists of the Union of Poles headed by Andzelika Borys on their way to the court.

We remind that recently repressions against the Union of Poles have intensified. On February 17, the Polish Sejm adopted a resolution condemning actions of Minsk in relations to the Polish minority in Belarus. The resolution includes recommendations to consider return to the policy of sanctions against the Belarusian government.