Polish Embassy protests against slander of Belarusian TV

The Embassy of Poland in Minsk has spread a communiqué denying information of the Belarusian state-run TV channels.

The matter concerns the news on the First National Channel. In particular, the item about the Union of Poles in Belarus said that Poland was going to break away and annex ‘certain Belarusian districts as Poland’s eastern territories. It was also reported about the lack of Belarusian schools in Poland, as well as about polonization and persecution of the Belarusian minority in Poland.

The term ‘ethnocide’, apparently on the analogy with ‘genocide’, was used when speaking about ‘polonization’ and ‘persecution’ of the Belarusian national minority by the Polish authorities.

‘This information is clearly untrue. We’d like to comment that we have 20 Belarusian secondary schools, 14 gymnasiums, and some lyceums in Poland,’ the statement of the Polish embassy says.

The diplomatic mission expresses its displeasure with the ONT TV channel.

‘Polemic materials are possible, the journalism ethics permits this, but false or doubtful information is only a bad manner, but also a crime provided for by the Belarusian legislation. Some incorrect information revealed to the public could have been checked,’ the Embassy of Poland says.

‘We express our deep concern and regret over the anti-Polish propaganda campaign launched by the Belarusian state television and regard this as an undesired turn in the dialogue between the two countries,’ the communiqué says.