Hrodna Ideologist and Journalist of ONT Channel Not Allowed to Enter Poland

13.06.2006.

A visa department of the general Consulate of Poland in Hrodna denied an entry visa to the head of ideology department of Hrodna regional executive committee Uladzimir Amelka and a journalist of the ONT Channel Mikalay Melyachenka. As the Deutsche Welle informs, for many years the head of ideology department Uladzimir Amelka was in charge of mass media activities and NGOs. Almost all independent newspapers have been closed for the period of his work in Hrodna region. The ideology department headed by Amelka took part in implementation of the regimes plan of seizure of the public association Union of Poles in Belarus.

As we have informed, last year the Justice Ministry of Belarus had not recognized the results of the March congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus. A repeat meeting was held under control of the authorities, and a pro-governmental leadership of the organization was elected. The official Warsaw condemned infringement of the Belarusian state into the affairs of the public association.

A correspondent of the state TV channel ONT Mikalay Melyachenka was denied visa as well. He is the author of materials that, according to the Polish side, stir up ethnic enmity. Besides, Melyachnka was a witness for prosecution in the criminal case brought up by the Hrodna Internal Affairs investigation department against activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus not recognized by the authoeities; Andrzej Poczobutt, Andrei Pisalnik and Jozef Porzecki. They were charged with intimidating the director of Schuchyn House of Poles last July. They have been summoned for interrogations repeatedly for several months. That criminal action has been suspended, but not closed. The accused activists of the Union of Poles had their passport stamps allowing going abroad cancelled.
Source: www.charter97.org