The Grodno District Court ruled on July 14 to add the website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube profiles, and logo of the Białystok-based Okno na Wschód (“Window to the East”) Foundation to a list of extremist materials, according to the paper. The foundation announced the ruling on its own social media channels.
Okno na Wschód has operated in Białystok for nearly two decades, assisting migrants and refugees from Eastern Europe, supporting job seekers, running Polish-language courses, helping families deal with schools and government offices, and carrying out integration programs, Gazeta Wyborcza said.
In a statement cited by the newspaper, the foundation said it has always operated in line with Polish and European Union law, and that its goal is to support people facing difficult life circumstances.
The foundation's representatives learned of the designation from a registry maintained by Belarus's Information Ministry. "We monitor this list on an ongoing basis, because it has a direct impact on the safety of people who use our support", foundation president Paweł Mickiewicz told the newspaper.
He said the organization has long warned those it helps about risks tied to Belarusian security services, noting that border checks sometimes include inspection of mobile phones and social media activity.
As a result, the foundation urged people in Belarus or planning to travel there to stop following its profiles and avoid sharing its content for the duration of their stay, for their own safety.
(jh)
Source: PAP