Foreign ministry: Tiszkowska, Biernacka and Paniszewa are now safe in Poland

The arrest of Maria Tiszkowska, Irena Biernacka and Anna Paniszewa was a result of widespread repressions aimed against Polish minority in Belarus and the Union of Poles in Belarus (ZPB) by Alexander Lukashenko's regime. All three had faced up to 12 years in prison.

Authorities of EU member states, as well as the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell have called for release of the ZPB members. Actions taken by the Minsk government were a reason for another round of sanctions the EU is to impose on Belarus.

Five members of the Union of Poles in Belarus - Andżelika Borys, Andrzej Poczobut, Irena Biernacka, Maria Tiszkowska and Anna Paniszewa have been recognised by Belarusian human rights organisations as political prisoners.

All of them have been charged by the prosecutor under Art. 130-3 of the Criminal Code (deliberate actions aimed at inciting national and religious hatred according to national, religious, language, other social affiliation, as well as through justifying Nazism, which were committed by a group of persons).

The prosecution claims their activity was relevant to"‘the rehabilitation of Nazism and justifying the genocide of the Belarusian people". Such offense carries a prison sentence up to 12 years.

The head of the union Andżelika Borys and its member and journalist Andrzej Poczobut still remain in detention in Belarus.

The Union of Poles in Belarus is the largest Polish minority organisation. In 2005, authorities in Minsk revoked its registration. The statutory goals of the union include cultivating Polishness, promoting Polish culture, teaching Polish language, preserving memorial sites.

The authorities of the EU, Poland and other countries have urged Belarus to observe international standards regarding minorities and to release the activists.