Polish officials have joined a growing chorus of international leaders condemning Belarusian authorities for the ongoing use of violence against protestors.
During a press conference yesterday afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Gliński made the Polish government’s position clear: „We demand that the Belarusian regime steps back from physical violence. It’s not possible in the 21st century, in a civilized world, for people to be beaten in the streets.”
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki promised last month that Poland would assist democratization efforts in Belarus by opening its borders and labor market while providing financial support to civil society institutions. He is scheduled to meet with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Source: Radio Poland
Reports emerged yesterday that Maria Kolesnikova, one of the few opposition leaders remaining in Belarus, had been abducted by masked men in a van in the center of Minsk and was no longer answering her phone.
The reports were confirmed at a press conference yesterday in Warsaw by other members of the opposition Coordination Council. One of the members, Olga Kovalkova, was forced to flee to Poland last Saturday after being detained by authorities and threatened with arrest in Belarus.
Belarusian state media is now claiming that Kolesnikova and two other members of the Coordination Council “tried to illegally leave Belarus” for Ukraine but Kolesnikova was caught and detained.
In comments on Twitter, the foreign ministers of both Germany and the UK called on the Belarusian government to provide “clarity” on Kolesnikova’s whereabouts and “make her safe return their highest priority.”
Source: PAP, Radio Poland, NYTimes
Doctor’s at Berlin’s Charite hospital have reported that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is responding to verbal stimuli after being brought out of a medically-induced coma.
In a statement released yesterday, the hospital stated that Navalny’s condition has improved and doctors are preparing to gradually remove him from a ventilator, but “it remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning.”
Navalny was airlifted from a hospital in Omsk last month after being exposed to what German laboratories have confirmed to be a dose of the military grade chemical nerve agent “Novichok.” The European Union has condemned the apparent poisoning and demanded a transparent probe into what EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calls “the assassination attempt of Mr. Navalny.”
Source: Reuters
After a disappointing loss to the Netherlands last Friday, the Polish men’s football team returned to form last night, beating Bosnia-and-Herzegovina 2:1 in their second match in the group stage of the Nations League.
Despite an early lead by the opposing hosts, Poland’s Kamil Glik produced an equalizer just before half time, while teammate Kamil Grosicki went on to clinch the win with a header in the 67th minute.
The Polish squad is scheduled to play a total of six matches and two friendlies in the Nations League this year as Europe emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The next friendly will take place in Gdańsk on October 7 against Finland, followed by a competitive match against Italy – also in Gdańsk – on October 11.
Source: Radio Poland
Weather
Tuesday will be partly cloudy, with only a slight chance of rain but strong breeze blowing in from the east. Temperatures will be warmer than yesterday with a high of 18°C, or 65°F, and an overnight low of 13°C or 55°F. More sunshine and even warmer weather are forecast for tomorrow, with a slight chance of rain again overnight.
Elizabeth Peck/ako
