The district prosecutor’s office in Hajnówka in Poland’s Podlasie region has launched an investigation into an attack on a Belarusian man motivated by national hatred, Radio Białystok reported.
The victim, a Belarusian citizen, works as a taxi driver. At night, he picked up a passenger. While paying for the ride, the passenger heard the driver’s eastern accent and began threatening and pushing him.
The driver warned that everything was being recorded on video, but the passenger continued insulting and threatening the Belarusian man.
A recording of the incident was published by the Centre for Monitoring Racist and Xenophobic Behaviour. The centre asked for help in identifying the aggressor and filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office in Hajnówka. Later, the victimised driver also filed a complaint.
A prosecutor’s office representative told the outlet that investigators already have all the necessary materials for the case. The victim is expected to be questioned in the near future. The attacker’s identity is still being established.
The case is being investigated as a public attack motivated by national hatred. The offence carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
