Polish Sejm calls upon return to the policy of sanctions against Belarus
- 19.02.2010, 18:21
The parliament of the Republic of Poland has adopted a special statement in connection with repressions against the opposition in Belarus.
The statement of the Polish Sejm is dedicated to human rights violations in Belarus. Radio Racyja published the full text of the statement:
“Sejm of the Republic of Poland condemns actions of the Belarusian authorities aimed against representatives of the organisation of the Polish national minority, and calls upon Belarus to respect human and citizen’s rights.
Over the period of the recent months authorities of the Republic of Poland have made several tentatives for intensification of the dialogue with the Republic of Belarus. They followed from a conviction that it is to the common interest of Poland, the European Union, but primarily Belarus itself to overcome self-isolation in which the country found itself as a result of autocratic actions of its authorities. In connection with the new upsurge of repressions against the Union of Poles in Belarus, as well as against activists of this organisation, Sejm of the Republic of Poland adheres to the position that the policy of sanctions against Belarus should be contemplated.
Sejm of the Republic of Poland expresses confidence that the level of cooperation between Poland and the EU with the Belarusian authorities should directly depend on the level of respect to civil rights in Belarus. Sejm of the Republic of Poland is in favour of adopting decisions by Polish authorities concerning the actins aimed at support of the Belarusian society including increase of financing of independent mass media, especially Belsat TV channel. Assistance should be received by repressed public associations independent from, the government, including the Union of Poles in Belarus. The appeal of the Polish Sejm is a result of confidence that by their repressions against the organization of the Polish ethnic minority, authorities of the Republic of Belarus violate basic human and civil rights, which are a foundation of modern Europe. By doing so Belarusian authorities reject assistance, which had been donated to them through Poland, and also doom themselves to further political isolation”.
We remind that on February 15 in different parts of Belarus activists and leadership of the independent Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB) headed by Andzelika Borys were detained.
Borys was fined 30 basic units (Br1 mln 50 thousand), representatives of the organisation’s leadership Andrzej Poczobut, Ihar Bantser (Igor Bancer) and Myachyslau Yaskevich (Mieczyslaw Jaskiewicz) sentenced to 5 days of arrest for staging a rally in support of Ivyanets branch of the UPB in Hrodna on February 10.
On February 17 a group of the UPB activists together with Andzelika Borys were detained by police once again. They were on the way to Valozhyn to support the chair of Ivyanets branch of the independent organisation Tereza Sobal during the trial.
The chair of Ivyanets branch of the independent organisation Tereza Sobal was charged with seizure of the local Polish House. The suit against Tereza Sobal was filed by the leader of the local branch of the pro-regime Union of Poles Stanislau Syamashka (Stanislaw Siemaszko).