Poland accuses Belarus of human rights violations
{{date|August 1, 2005}}
[[Image:Bo-map.gif|thumb|right|280px|Belarus borders with [[Russia]], [[Ukraine]] and 3 [[EU]] members: [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]] and [[Poland]]]]
[[Poland]] has called for the [[EU]] to assist curtailing what it has called human rights abuses in [[Belarus]]. Belarusian papers describe this as a 'dirty political game', and part of a 'cold war' waged on president [[Alexander Lukashenko]].

The Belarusian [[w:riot police|Riot police]] with guns and dogs seized the headquarters of the Union of Poles in Belarus, an association representing the 400 thousand [[w:ethnic minority|ethnic minority]] [[w:Polish people|Polish people]] living in western areas of Belarus that were part of Poland until [[w:World War II|World War II]].

Earlier this year, [[Amnesty International]] reported a "pattern of deliberate obstruction, harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders" in Belarus. [[w:Reporters Without Borders|Reporters Without Borders]] recently accused the Belarusian authorities of hounding and arresting journalists from the country's Polish minority. Lukashenko has recently closed the country's main Polish newspaper, printing a bogus paper instead with the same name that praised his regime. Lukashenko accused Poland of an attempt to overthrow his regime by stirring up a peaceful revolution in Belarus like the "[[w:orange revolution|orange revolution]]" in [[Ukraine last year.

The dispute between Poland and Belarus escalated further as Poland responded by recalling its ambassador from Belarus for indefinite consultations and called on the [[European Union]] to impose sanctions on the Belarusian leadership.

Polish Foreign Minister [[w:Adam Rotfeld|Adam Rotfeld]] said a clampdown is under way, aimed at destroying ''"all elements of political pluralism and independence"'' in Belarus. [[France]] expressed her solidarity with Poland on the issue of human rights in Belarus a day after the EU said it was worried about the situation in the country. 

The European Union will finance radio and TV programs to be broadcasted to Belarus.

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/31/news/edbelarus.php
|title=The tyrant of Belarus
|author=
|pub=International Herald Tribune
|date=August 01, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4728051.stm
|title=Belarus-Poland row stirs up press
|author=BBC Monitoring
|pub=BBC News
|date=July 29, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1538345,00.html  
|title=Poland gets tough with Europe's last dictator  
|author=Ian Traynor in Zagreb and Kamil Tchorek in Minsk
|pub=The Guardian
|date=July 29, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20050729-1059-poland-belarus.html
|title=	Russia should push for change in Belarus, Poland says
|author=Anna Willard in Paris
|pub=Sign on San Diego (The San Diego Union Tribune)
|date=July 29, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2005&mm=07&dd=30&nav_id=173623&nav_category=78
|title=Nezavisni radio EU za Belorusiju
|author=
|pub=B92
|date=July 30, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/blr-summary-eng
|title=AI Report 2005 - Belarus
|author=
|pub=Amnesty International
|date=May 2005}}

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[[Category:Poland]]
[[Category:Belarus]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:European Union]]
[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Alexander Lukashenko]]
[[Category:Reporters Without Borders]]

[[pl:Kategoria:Spór o Związek Polaków na Białorusi]]
Belarus borders with Russia, Ukraine and 3 EU members: Latvia, Lithuania and Poland
Poland has called for the EU to assist curtailing what it has called human rights abuses in Belarus. Belarusian papers describe this as a 'dirty political game', and part of a 'cold war' waged on president Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian Riot police with guns and dogs seized the headquarters of the Union of Poles in Belarus, an association representing the 400 thousand ethnic minority Polish people living in western areas of Belarus that were part of Poland until World War II.

Earlier this year, Amnesty International reported a "pattern of deliberate obstruction, harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders" in Belarus. Reporters Without Borders recently accused the Belarusian authorities of hounding and arresting journalists from the country's Polish minority. Lukashenko has recently closed the country's main Polish newspaper, printing a bogus paper instead with the same name that praised his regime. Lukashenko accused Poland of an attempt to overthrow his regime by stirring up a peaceful revolution in Belarus like the "orange revolution" in Ukraine last year.

The dispute between Poland and Belarus escalated further as Poland responded by recalling its ambassador from Belarus for indefinite consultations and called on the European Union to impose sanctions on the Belarusian leadership.

Polish Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld said a clampdown is under way, aimed at destroying "all elements of political pluralism and independence" in Belarus. France expressed her solidarity with Poland on the issue of human rights in Belarus a day after the EU said it was worried about the situation in the country. 

The European Union will finance radio and TV programs to be broadcasted to Belarus.


pl:Kategoria:Spór o Związek Polaków na Białorusi
Poland Belarus Europe Politics and conflicts European Union Human rights Crime and law Alexander Lukashenko Reporters Without Borders