Rights Activist Poczobut Visits Belarus After Being Freed From Jail There
The journalist and activist plans to meet family and colleagues after being freed in a prisoner exchange, with the visit expected to last a week.
- On Tuesday, Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut crossed the border to visit his hometown of Grodno, planning to spend a week with family and colleagues from the Union of Poles in Belarus.
- Belarusian authorities arrested Poczobut in March 2021 and sentenced him to eight years in prison for "inciting ethnic hatred," though Poland maintained the charges were politically motivated and repeatedly called for his release.
- Asked by Gazeta Wyborcza if he feared returning, Poczobut said, "I found myself in a situation anyone would fear. But in life, you shouldn't let fear guide you." He recently received the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize.
- Belarusian exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya praised the return as "an act of extraordinary courage," yet warned that "arrests, criminal cases, searches and intimidation continue across the country" under President Alexander Lukashenko.
- Poczobut's return highlights ongoing challenges in Belarus; while Western governments recognize Tsikhanouskaya as the winner of the disputed 2020 election, the journalist remains focused on his family and colleagues during this visit.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Rights activist Poczobut visits Belarus after being freed from jail there
Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut has returned to Belarus on a visit, a Polish newspaper reported on Tuesday, nearly five months after he was freed from a Belarusian prison and transferred to Poland in a prisoner exchange.
Poczobut Returns: A Courageous Journey Amidst Political Tensions
Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist previously imprisoned in Belarus, has returned to the country five months after his release through a prisoner exchange. His visit is to meet with family and colleagues, despite the ongoing political tensions and risks he faces as an activist challenging Belarusian authorities.
Polish journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut, who was released from prison in Belarus, returned to Belarus on Tuesday, sources reported.
Belarusian-Polish journalist and activist Andrzej Poczobut has returned to Belarus. This happened about six months after he arrived in Poland as part of a prisoner exchange between Warsaw and Minsk. This was reported by the Polish agency PAP, referring to information from the Polish security services. Poczobut later confirmed to the Polish station TVN24 that he was already in Belarus.
In "Rozmowa" at 7:00 on RMF FM and Radio RMF24, we'll ask Mariusz Maszkiewicz, former Polish ambassador to Belarus, whether a Polish journalist could once again become Lukashenko's hostage? Could and should the Polish state have persuaded him to stay in Poland?
Ales Bialiatski, Nobel laureate and head of the Viasna Human Rights Center, commented on Andrzej Poczobut's visit to Belarus and recommended other Belarusian political refugees not to do so for now. Belyatsky emphasizes that the situation in Belarus has not changed and repression continues. “Andrzej Poczobut has returned to Belarus. This shows that he is a brave person and is willing to take risks to achieve his goals. Does he say [...]
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