BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

21/01/2010

50 Poles detained in Belarus

Up to 50 Poles were detained this morning by Belarusian officials as they travelled to a meeting representing the Polish minority in the ex-Soviet nation.

The detentions happened as around 100 Polish activists made their way to meet with members of the Polish Union in Belarus in Ivyanets, Hrodna province,

The Charter 97 NGO in Belarus reports that 43 were arrested, though Polish media says the figure is closer to 50.

Head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Andzelika Borys, part of the group of Poles harassed by the Belarusian officials today, confirmed the detentions. "About 30 cars and mini-buses with 100 people on board left Grodno," she told the PAP news agency. "The vehicles were stopped every 50 km,. In Ivyanets, five cars were stopped and the passengers' and documents were checked,"

"People were stopped on various pretexts: their cars and documents were checked, some had breathalyzer tests, others were taken for medical examinations."

Radio Svaboda journalist Syarhei Astrautsou was also among the detained.

"Cars are being stopped almost at all traffic police posts. Information about our cars has apparently been leaked to police, because officers know number plates of activists' cars," he said.

Battle for Polish Union

The Polish activists were on their way to give support to Tereza Sobal, the leader of the Polish union in Ivyanets, - not recognized as leader of the union by the government in Minsk - who has been expelled from the government-sanctioned organization. Election for a new leader who would be acceptable to the Belarusian government was to take place today at 17.00 CET.

Activists opposing the election, forced on them by Minsk, were expecting trouble, as Union of Polish in Belarus members went to lend their support today.

"This is another escalation, tightening the pressure on the Union of Poles," says journalist Andrzej Poczobut.

Union leader Andzelika Borys didn't let the road blocks and detentions stop her getting to the meeting, however. "I managed to get to Ivyanets hitchhiking. My car was stopped and I didn't know how long I would have to wait," she said.

The Union of Poles in Belarus claims around 20,000 members and represents a Polish minority amounting to around 400,000.

From 2005 there have been two unions, one approved by President Aleksander Lukashenko - which most of the Polish minority regard as a stooge organization - and the other organization lead by Borys which is approved by governments in Warsaw.

In 2005, Lukashenko launched a campaign against Polish minority, claiming that it was a "fifth column" trying to destabilize his regime. (pg/mg)

Source: PAP/Charter 97

Source:

http://www.thenews.pl/international/artykul124131_50-poles-detained-in-belarus.html


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