Issues of cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus, support for the democratic aspirations of Belarusian society, and the legalization of Belarusians in Poland were discussed during the visit to Poland by the President-elect and head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, as well as during meetings involving the Deputy Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, Pavel Latushka, with representatives of the Polish government and parliament: Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak, Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar, and Marshal of the Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska.
During the meetings, which took place on Thursday and Friday, Pavel Latushka informed representatives of the Polish authorities about the appeal made by the Lithuanian government to the ICC regarding the investigation of the situation in Belarus in connection with the cross-border crimes against humanity and called on the Polish side to support this action by the Lithuanian government.
During the meeting with the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland, Tomasz Siemoniak, issues related to the legalization of Belarusians who were forced to leave Belarus, including as a result of deportation, and are now in Poland were discussed:
The possibility of issuing a Polish travel document to individuals who currently lack grounds for obtaining one (children born on Polish territory; holders of valid documents with no free pages for visas; holders of travel documents for refugees (Geneva passports), and other categories);
The extension of the simplified procedure for issuing Polish travel documents;
Discrepancies in the validity periods of Geneva passports and Polish residence permits, which forces Belarusian citizens to apply for renewals of these documents at different times;
The possibility of waiving the requirement for a criminal record certificate from Belarus for individuals convicted on politically motivated charges.
During the meeting with the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland, Tomasz Siemoniak, Pavel Latushka also provided information on instances of persecution of Belarusians residing in Poland by representatives of the Lukashenko regime's special services.
Minister Tomasz Siemoniak expressed his readiness to initiate the creation of an interdepartmental working group to discuss and resolve issues related to the legalization of Belarusians in Poland, as well as issues related to the social integration of Belarusians in Poland. Tomasz Siemoniak emphasized that the Polish government will continue to support the democratic aspirations of Belarusian society.
During the meeting with the Minister of Justice of Poland, Adam Bodnar, the prospects for holding accountable those responsible for the large-scale crimes against Belarusians who found refuge in Poland were discussed in detail, both through international mechanisms and using universal jurisdiction.
The number of Belarusians who have moved to Poland is around 250,000 people — and this figure continues to grow. Pavel Latushka expressed his gratitude to the Polish government and relevant ministries for the assistance provided to Belarusians who were forced to leave Belarus.During the meeting with Marshal of the Senate of Poland, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, issues of cooperation with the Coordination Council were discussed, as well as the possibility of resuming the work of the group for cooperation with the democratic forces of Belarus in the Polish Senate and Sejm, and the holding of hearings dedicated to Belarusian issues. Separate topics included the invitation of representatives of the democratic forces of Belarus to Senate events, including during Poland's presidency of the EU, which begins on January 1, 2025.
At the request of the Marshal of the Senate of Poland, Pavel Latushka provided information about the search for a theater venue for the "Free Kupalauski" and other Belarusian theater groups operating in Warsaw.
Pavel Latushka also conveyed a request to assist in preventing the extradition of Belarusian activist Andrei Gnet from Serbia, including by using possible contacts with parliamentarians from other countries.
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