The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.