This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.
We, the undersigned, declare the following:
The Belarusian authorities have been carrying out activities
aimed at Poles in Belarus for years. Representatives of the Polish
minority in Belarus are persecuted, Polish cultural heritage is
being destroyed. In addition, Belarusian propaganda repeats the
Russian message, trying to discredit and slander Poland in the eyes
of Belarusians. The culmination of the Belarusian authorities’ repression
against the Polish minority in Belarus was the show trial of journalist
Andrzej Poczobut. In this political trial, the Minsk regime accused Andrzej
Poczobut of “inciting hatred” and “acting to the detriment” of Belarus
by calling for sanctions. On 8 January 2023, he was sentenced by
the Belarusian regime court to 8 years in a penal colony with a
strict regime. Since his arrest on 21 March 2021, he has not been
able to see his family. Moreover, political prisoners are tortured
and kept in inhumane conditions.
We call on the Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
the Committee of Ministers and member States to act for the immediate
and unconditional release of Andrzej Poczobut and other activists
of the Union of Poles and to support for all initiatives that contribute
to the democratisation of Belarusian public life both in the diaspora
and in Belarus.
