UNION OF POLES ACTIVIST ARRESTED FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT

25.03.2006.

Andrzej Lisowski, activist of the Union of Poles, was detained yesterday evening in Hrodna. He had to spend the night in the detention center, reports RFE/RL.

Lisowski’s attorney Uladzimir Kisialevich told RFE/RL that he had been charged for “swearing on the government and police officers”. Two activists of the Union of Poles were in Lisowski’s car during the detention. One of them, journalist Inesa Todryk, says the police confiscated copies of Magazyn Polski na Uchodzstwie magazine and Glos znad Niemna na uchodzstwie newspaper. The police explained they were going to conduct expert examination of the publications.

Confiscation of new issues of Polish language magazine and newspaper demonstrates the continuing pressure on the Union of Poles headed by Anzelika Borys. Andrzej Pisalnik, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief is behind the bars. This is his second arrest in a row. The magazine’s editor-in-chief Andrei Pachobut has just been released from jail. He told RFE/RL the following: “I spent 5 days in a solitary cell. Many times they interrogated me about where, how and who publishes Magazyn Polski. They told me they were going to press criminal charges against me. They recommended me to think twice before saying no to them – that I would get into serious trouble – not an arrest but a real prison term”.

According to Pachobut, he was interrogated by police officers and officers from Leninski district and regional prosecutor’s offices. Besides that, he was visited by investigator Dzmitry Labotski who clamed they had re-opened the criminal case about threats to Viktar Bogdan, member of the official Union of Poles from Shchychyn. Anrei Pachobut and three of his colleagues are considered suspects in that case.

Andrei Pachobut spent 10 days in prison. He went on a dry hunger strike. On the sixth day he felt bad and was taken to hospital. After medical treatment he had to stop the hunger strike.