Anna Paniszewa
director of Polska Szkoła
Date of birth: 15 Nov 1964
Date of detention: 12 Mar 2021
Charges indicted:
Art. 130 of the Criminal Code - Incitement to hatred
Prison: Pre-trial detention center No. 7
Anna Paniszewa is the director of the Polska Szkoła school based in Brest.
On March 10, the authorities opened a criminal case to investigate "heroization of war criminals." According to the prosecutor's office, the case was initiated after a group of persons committed intentional actions aimed at inciting national, religious and ethnic hatred on the basis of national, religious, linguistic affiliation, and committing intentional actions to rehabilitate Nazism (Art. 130 of the Criminal Code). The prosecutor's office said that on February 28 an illegal mass event was held in a room rented by the Brest Forum of Polish Local Initiatives and the Polish School with the participation of minors and youths. "Young people wearing uniforms of the Polish Scout Organization sang songs and recited poems in honor of war criminals, including Romuald Rajs, known as Bury," the prosecutor's office said.
On March 11, the co-founder of the Polish School was detained, but later released on bail as a suspect. On March 12, upon returning to Belarus, school director Anna Paniszewa was detained. She was placed in pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Brest and charged under Art. 130 of the Criminal Code.