Member of Polish Sejm not allowed in Belarus

Robert Tyszkiewicz was going to visit Belarus with a delegation on an invitation of the unrecognized Union of Poles.

Belarusian customs officers at Bruzhi border crossing denied access to Belarus for him saying he was persona non grata, activist of the Union of Poles Andrzej Poczobut said.

Robert Tyszkiewicz is a deputy head of the foreign affairs committee of the Polish Sejm. He was to visit Hrodna to take part in the action on occasion on an anniversary of the Operation Ostra Brama (an operation by the Armia Krajowa to liberate Vilnius from the Nazi troops). This event is annually celebrated by the unrecognized Union of Poles in Belarus.

Tyszkiewicz has always actively cooperated with the Belarusian opposition and called on the Polish authorities to support the Belarusian democrats. Earlier, Robert Tyszkiewicz and other Polish politicians were denied access to Belarus.

We remind that a conflict between Poland and Belarus over violations of the rights of the Belarusian Poles has been lasting for many years. The Union of Poles in Belarus split in 2005. there are two Union in Belarus, an official one, registered by the Ministry of Justice of Belarus, and an unrecognized one, supported by the Polish government and repressed by the Belarusian authorities.