Criminal Proceedings Against Union of Poles in Belarus Continues

The head of Hrodna city branch of the Union of Poles in Belarus Mieczyslaw Jaskiewicz has been charged with violation of the Article 339 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (hooliganism). The Charter’97 press-center has been informed about that by the UPB activist Andrzej Poczobut.

As said by A. Poczobut, on November 5 Mieczyslaw Jaskiewicz was detained by policemen and placed to a remand prison of Kastrychnitski district of Hrodna for a few days. Mieczyslaw Jaskiewicz was detained late at night at a trolleybus stop. As said by policemen, he had started a fight, so a criminal action was brought up against him under Article 339 of the Criminal Code (hooliganism). On November 7 Jaskiewicz was released.

Yesterday Jaskiewicz was summoned to the interior affairs department again. He was presented an accusation. The case is to be taken to court soon.

It is not the first occasion of the UBP activists’ prosecution.

The chairman of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andzelika Borys and a few UBP activists were detained at Lithuanian-Belarusian border on October 29. They were detained as a packet with an unknown powder had been allegedly found in their car. Hrodna regional customs office brought up a criminal action for drugs trafficking. According to the State Customs Committee, “the unknown powder” was heroin.

As we have informed A. Borys called the incident a provocation of Belarusian law-enforcing agencies and told that she had nothing to do with the packets.