The four Polish community activists have been charged with incitement to racial hatred, an allegation described as "absurd" by Andżelika Orechwo, the leader of the main council of the Union of Poles in Belarus.
"The Polish national minority has certain rights, according to the Belarusian constitution," Orechwo told IAR.
The member of the Union stressed that it "has never incited hatred."
On Saturday, Andżelika Borys, Andrzej Poczobut, Irena Biernacka and Maria Tiszkowska, were transported to a pre-trial detention center in Minsk, known as "Valadarka."
All of the activists have access to legal representation, according to IAR. If convicted, they might face up to 12 years in prison.
There is an overwhelming political consensus in Poland that sanctions should be imposed on the Belarusian regime, following the detention of the Polish activists, Polish Radio's IAR news agency also reported.
Poland has been seeking to build international pressure for their release.
On Friday, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda appealed to the United Nations Security Council to discuss the human rights situation in Belarus, including the treatment of the Polish minority by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.
(ał)
Source: IAR