News on the topic: national minorities
11.02.2010 Hrodna: members of the disgraced Union of Poles are summoned for interrogations
On 11 February the police paid a visit to the Polonika, the Hrodna firm headed by Anzhalika Borys, Chairperson of the Union of Poles in Belarus in disgrace, to serve writs for interrogations to Mrs. Borys, Andrei Pachobut, Mechyslau Yaskevich and Ihar Bantsar.
10.02.2010 Hrodna: action of Union of Poles took place under police surveillance
At 1.20 p.m. two police officers and a cameraman came to the Polonika firm. They warned Andrei Pachobut, Chairperson of the Main Council of the Union of Poles in Belarus in disgrace, that activists of the organization were preparing an unauthorized action.
06.01.2010 Ivianets: criminal case brought against Union of Poles activist
Police initiated a criminal case against the head of the Polish House in Ivyanets, Teresa Sobal. At the moment Teresa Sobal is a suspect: a criminal case has been initiated against the activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus which is not recognized by the authorities, under Article 210 Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, Radio Racyja informs.
16.11.2009 Rights of national minorities of Belarus are restricted
According to the amendments to the Law On Languages in the Republic of Belarus that will come into force in ten days, representatives of national minorities in Belarus would be able to teach their children in their national language only with permission from the Education Ministry.
07.10.2009 Pressurization of Union of Poles in disgrace continues
In Ivianets officers of law enforcement agencies pressurize members of the disgraced Union of Poles in Belarus, headed by Anzhalika Borys.
30.04.2009 Head of World Association of Belarusian Jews Gutman calls on Lukashenka to stop demolition of synagogue in Luban
Yakov Gutman, head of the US-based World Association of Belarusian Jews, calls on President Lukashenka to stop the demolition of an early 20 century synagogue in the town of Luban, Minsk region. Yakov Gutman stresses that the synagogue bears a memorial tablet to one of the most famous rabbis of the 20th century Moshe Feistein, whose is name is sacred to the Jews across the world. He says that the projected demolition of the synagogue will be viewed as a continuous campaign of destructing Jewish churches in Minsk, Jewish cemeteries in Hrodna and Mazyr, and other memorials. ‘We should like to believe that the incident in Luban is the result of misunderstanding by the local authorities and has nothing to do with the state policy. Chair of Luban District Executive Committee Vasil Akulich found it unnecessary to reply to the letter,’ said Mr.Gutman.
14.04.2009 Alexander Lukashenka refuses to recognize the Union of Poles headed by Anzhalika Borys
Alexander Lukashenka refused to consider the application of the delegates of the congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), calling on him to help developing better relations.
12.02.2009 Provocation against Union of Poles in Belarus
On 11 February in Sapotskin, Hrodna region, leaflets have emerged with a call to Belarusian Poles to finance the congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus on 14-15 March. The appeal was signed by the chairperson of the Union of Poles in disgrace.
06.02.2009 Police use violence during anti-Gypsy raid
On 5 January officers of Partyzanski district police department of Minsk detained more than 80 representatives of Gypsy minority in the Suburb of Stsiapianka and took fingerprints from them.
02.02.2009 Union of Poles under Surveillance?
On 31 January the citizens of Poland, teachers Piotr Borania and Galina Zajkowska were deported from Belarus. The official reason is that their having moved to a new apartment.
12.05.2008 Anzhalika Borys tried for organizing a concert
A chair of the Union of Poles in Belarus Anzhalika Borys faces an administrative penalty for organizing a concert of the Polish band Lombard in Brest.
14.04.2008 Human rights activist addresses president
Human rights activist Mikalai Kalinin addressed Lukashenka complaining against the State Department on Religious and National Affairs officials. He claims he had addressed the Department with a request to clarify the situation with the Gypsy minority in Belarus and received an evading reply saying he has to address a non-governmental body.
09.01.2008 Vitsebsk: New Threat Letters from Russian Nazis
Recently representatives of an unregistered Russian neonazi organization Russian National Unity (RNE) have sent letters to the editor of the Kurier newspaper Uladzimir Bazan and its distributor Barys Khamaida.
18.10.2007 Magazine Editor Released Early
On October 17th Ihar Bantsar, editor of “Magazyn Polski na uchodzstwie” magazine, was released early from Hrodna remand jail.
12.07.2007 Criminal Case against Union of Poles in Belarus Terminated
The Belarusian authorities have stopped criminal proceedings against 4 members of the Union of Poles in Belarus. Veslau Keuliak, Andzhei Pachobut, Yozef Pazhetski, and Andzhei Pisalnik can now address Hrodna police and get a stamp in passports which allow leaving Belarus for all countries of the world.
