Poland can shut down border if Belarus misbehaves – interior official

February 27, BPN. Poland can shut down the border with Belarus altogether, the Polish interior ministry’s secretary of state Maciej Wąsik has told Polskie Radio in an interview.

“I don’t rule out a situation where we won’t have traffic across the border with Belarus,” Wąsik said. “We are ready for further action, but we’ll see how the Belarusian side behaves and, of course, we expect signals.” (Quotes rendered from Russian).

He said Belarus could send a signal by releasing Polish minority activists Andrzej Poczobut and Andżelika Borys. Poland is also unhappy about the destruction of Home Army cemeteries in Belarus, he added.

On February 21, Poland blocked traffic at the Kukuryki-Kazłovičy border checkpoint with Belarus. The decision by Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński came in response to restrictions imposed by the Belarusian authorities on Polish carriers.

After a Belarusian court sentenced Poczobut to eight years in prison in early February, Poland closed the key Bobrowniki road checkpoint, and Belarus restricted traffic for Polish lorries and tractor trucks to the Polish section of the border.

Belarus also expelled a Polish Border Guard liaison officer and two staff members of the Polish consulate in Hrodna.

On February 23, Poland said it was expelling the Belarusian military attaché.