25.02.2010 Period of investigation in case of Union of Poles’s activist Teresa Sobol extended

On February 24, director of the Ivyanets Polish House Tereza Sobal (Teresa Sobol) and accountant Romualda Miron were questioned in the militia department of Valozhyn.

They were questioned in Tereza Sobal’s criminal case of abuse of office. As Radio Svaboda reports, the period of investigation has been extended.

25.02.2010 Minsk student fined for supporting Union of Poles

Iryna Hubskaya, activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy creation committee, was fined BYR 175,000 by Minsk Frunzenski administrative commission for posting stickers in Polish ‘Wolna Bialorus’ (‘Free Belarus’) in downtown Minsk on 15-16 February in support of the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus, including the buildings of the Belarusian State University and the city executive committee, the BelaPAN news agency reports.

23.02.2010 Liabedzka summonsed for interrogation

Anatol Liabedzka, Chair of the United Civic Party of Belarus, was summonsed for interrogation to Minsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office. The UCPB leader is to give explanations concerning his arrest in the town of Valozhyn, Minsk region, on 15 February, during a protest rally staged by the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus.

18.02.2010 Supreme Court didn’t grant appeal against non-registration of ‘Brestskaya Viasna’

On 18 February the cassation appeal of the founders of the human rights NGO Brestskaya Viasna concerning the verdict of the Brest oblast court of 29 December by which the decision of the justice department of the Brest oblast executive committee on non-registration of the organization was left in force.

18.02.2010 Supreme Court didn’t grant claim of Belarusian Christian Democracy

On 18 February, Vital Rymasheuski and Pavel Seviarynets, co-Chairpersons of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, and Dzianis Sadouski, BCD Senior Secretary, weren’t admitted to the sitting of the Supreme Court at which the verdict on the case BCD v. Justice Ministry was announced.

17.02.2010 Members of Union of Poles are detained again

The continuation of the trial on confiscation of the Polish House in the town of Ivianets was scheduled for 2.30 p.m. on 17 February in the Valozhyn district court. The trial is initiated by the authorities and is aimed at passing the Polish House to the pro-regime Union of Poles, governed by businessman Stanislau Siamashka.

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 Absurd trial of Tereza Sobal, Chairperson of Ivianets organization of Union of Poles

A preliminary sitting on the lawsuit of the pro-regime Union of Poles of Belarus headed by Stanislau Siamasha against Teresa Sobal, Chairperson of the Ivianets branch of the Union of Poles that is not recognized by the Belarusian authorities. Teresa also headed the Polish House in Ivianets before it was sealed by court marshals. The defendant entered motions for summoning witnesses and composing an additional inventory of property in the Polish House.

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.

12.02.2010 Materials from Belarusian NPOs prepared for the Universal Periodic Review of Belarus in the U.N. Committee on Human Rights. October 2009

This compilation of materials was prepared in August-September 2009 by a group of NGOs for conveyance to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in conjunction with the preparation of the Universal Periodic Review of the Republic of Belarus' fulfillment of its international human rights obligations. These materials contain references to more detailed reports and publications. The following organizations participated in the preparation of these materials: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), “Viasna” Human Rights Center, Assembly of Democratic Non-Governmental Organizations of Belarus and Congress of Independent Unions (Belarus).

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.

11.02.2010 Baranavichy: legal existence of Belarusian Language Society is under threat

On 10 February, the Baranavichy Council of the Belarusian Language Society filed with Viktar Dzichkouski, Chairman of the Baranavichy city executive committee, a repeated letter informing that all documents necessary for changing the legal address of the local BLS organization had been presented to the CEC more than a month ago, but no answer was received in the legal terms.

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.

09.02.2010 Constitutional Court reluctant to consider revocation of Article 193-1

In December 2009 Kiryl Atamanchyk, activist of the Young Front youth movement, lodged an address with the Constitutional Court, urging the officials to provide legal assessment of the compliance of Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code with Article 36 of the Belarusian Constitution and Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

09.02.2010 Militia seized Polish House in Ivyanets

The militia forced activists of the Union of Poles, mainly elderly people, out of the building.

On February 8, militiamen and officers of court burst into the Polish House, owned by the unrecognized by the Belarusian authorities Union of Poles. The website charter97.org learnt this from journalist Andrzej Poczobut, a Union activist.