News on the topic: national minorities
26.03.2013 Homel police enumerates Roma, asking about their nicknames
The staff of Savetski district police department of Homel are reportedly visiting houses and apartments of Roma residents and checking on their personal data. The policemen ask about the distinguishing characteristics of each person, and require to include not only their names, but nicknames, as well.
02.03.2013 Homel human rights defenders congratulate police on professional holiday and remind about rights of national minorities
Homel human rights defenders Maryia Klimovich and Ales Yauseyenka submitted another appeal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Department of Homel Region Executive Committee. This one is dated to the Police Day, marked on 4 March.
20.02.2013 Interior Ministry sees no discrimination in articles about Roma
Homel human rights defender Marya Klimovich received a reply to her appeal to the Interior Ministry on reported instances of discrimination of Roma people. In her appeal, the activist argued that the police newspaper “Na Strazhe” (“On Guard”) specifies the nationality of criminals, in particular Roma, which leads to discrimination based on ethnicity.
21.01.2013 Homel rights defenders re-address Minister of Internal Affairs on “Roma issue”
Homel human rights defenders Marya Klimovich and Ales Yauseyenka submitted another statement to Interior Minister Ihar Shunevich urging him to promptly address the so-called “Roma issue”. In June 2012, they filed an appeal to the Interior Minister with a request not to specify the nationality of criminals in mass media publications, so that it did not lead to discrimination based on nationality.
20.11.2012 Informal legal school for Roma people to be arranged in Homel
Homel human rights activists announced yesterday the opening of a legal school for Roma. The decision was made based on the results of a roundtable discussion on Roma-related discrimination. The event was organized by local activists of the organizing committee of the party "Belarusian Christian Democracy".
10.07.2012 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Information point at each other in case of Roma discrimination
Members of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Maryia Bahdanovich and Ales Yauseyenka have received an answer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs towards their application concerning discriminative statements in the press about Roma nationals.
23.05.2012 Hrodna authorities ban pickets in support of Polish minority school
Hrodna city executive officials have banned the holding of a series of pickets in support of retaining Polish-language education at a local secondary school attended by representatives of the city’s Polish minority.
22.05.2012 Baranavichy authorities block registration of Ukrainian minority NGO
It is two years since Baranavichy activist Mikalai Charnavus started applying for the registration of a local Ukrainian minority NGO “Kobzar”. His latest visit to chairman of Brest regional executive committee Kanstantsin Sumar was not optimistic, as the high official said the NGO could only be registered after 15 mln rubles were donated to the city budget.
04.05.2012 Human rights defender opposes Roma-phobia
On 3 May the member of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Maryia Bahdanovich applied to the head of the main ideological bureau of the Homel Regional Executive Committee, Iryna Dauhala.
16.02.2012 Baranavichy Ukrainian minority activist appeals arrogation charges
On 16 February, Baranavichy entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus lodged a complaint with Brest Regional Court, appealing 10 February conviction for alleged usurpation of power during the creation of the Kobzar Ukrainian minority association.
10.01.2012 Baranavichy officials accuse Mikalai Charnavus of “arbitrary rule”
On 9 January Baranavichy-based civil activist Mikalai Charnavus was summonsed to room #106 of the Main Police Department of Baranavichy, located in 50 Years ULKSM Street, 1. As he found from the talk with police major Vital Dabrachynski and police lieutenant Aliaksandr Samtsevich, Baranavichy officials accused him of arbitrary rule.
16.03.2010 All is quiet in Belarus, says Committee for Religions and Nationalities
Inter-ethnic relations are taking a normal and conflict-free course, said Mikhail Rybakou, spokesman of the State Committee for Religions and Nationalities, at a press-conference in Minsk.
02.03.2010 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.
16.02.2010 Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs voices support to the Polish minority
The leadership of the Assembly of NGOs issued an official statement to condemn the unlawful actions of the Belarusian authorities towards members of the Union of Poles in Belarus not recognized by them.
15.02.2010 Detentions and trials of members of disgraced Union of Poles
In Hrodna, the police detained Ihar Banatsar, press secretary of the Union of Poles in Belarus. Mechyslau Yaskevich and Andrei Pachobut, UPB members, were detained on the way to Minsk.
