On Wednesday, the judge of the Grodno Regional Court announced the sentence of eight years in maximum security prison for Polish minority activist and journalist Andrzej Poczobut. The political process began on January 16. Poczobut has been behind bars for almost two years. Shortly after the verdict was announced, the first comments from politicians appeared.
Head of BPM: Poczobut’s conviction – a shameful act, will not go unnoticed
The sentencing by the Belarusian regime of Andrzej Poczobut to eight years in prison is a disgraceful act and another expression of Minsk’s struggle with its own society. It will not go unnoticed. We call for an immediate cessation of anti-Polish activities and the release of political prisoners
Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Office of International Policy, stressed on social media.
Szrot: The verdict on Poczobut was issued by a court guided by political guidelines, not justice
The verdict on Andrzej Poczobut has been handed down by a court that is not guided by justice, but by political guidelines; Andrzej Poczobut is innocent and must be released
Paweł Szrot, head of the president’s office, told PAP on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, a judge of the Grodno Regional Court announced an eight-year prison sentence with a maximum security regime for Belarusian Polish minority activist and journalist Andrzej Poczobut. In a political trial, Poczobut was charged with two articles of the Penal Code concerning “incitement to hatred” and “calling to act against Belarus”.
The head of the president’s cabinet stressed in an interview with PAP that Andrzej Duda had repeatedly stressed that Andrzej Poczobut was innocent and should be released.
A court decision guided not by justice but by political guidelines does not change this
– he said.
I can once again appeal to Alyaksandr Lukashenko to release this heroic man, Mr. Andrzej Poczobut, but I am afraid that this dictator is irreconcilable
added the minister.
Szrot stressed that Poland is doing everything possible in the case of Poczobut; He notes that the president also participates in these activities.
Let me remind you that thanks to Mr. President’s efforts and commitment, several political prisoners have been released
noted the minister.
Poczobut’s trial began on January 16 at the Grodno District Court. The hearings were secret, which was decided by the judge at the request of the prosecutor.
Deputy Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The verdict on Andrzej Poczobut is outrageous
The verdict against Andrzej Poczobut is outrageous; the Polish consul in Belarus is completely at the disposal of Andrzej Poczobut and will try to help as much as possible
– said Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk in an interview with PAP.PL.
The consul will try to help as much as possible, but remember that Belarus does not respect international standards, so Poland’s options are limited
he stressed.
This verdict confirms that Belarus is a totalitarian state. The rule, however, is that the more the totalitarian regime condemns the oppositionists, the sooner the end will come
added Wawrzyk.
Cichanouska: Andrzej Poczobut did not give up
Andrzej Poczobut did not give up, he did not write a pardon, he is in prison for fighting and supporting a free Belarus; his sacrifice enables Belarusians to fight, he is our hero
– said the leader of the Belarusian opposition, commenting on the Poczobut verdict.
According to the Belarusian court, Poczobut had to “call for actions against Belarus” through publications in the media and on the Internet, and “take deliberate actions aimed at inciting hostility and hatred at national, religious and social grounds”. The verdict of the court on Wednesday is not final.
Journalists asked Swiatłana Cichanouska, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, who is in the Senate of the Republic of Poland on Wednesday.
The court on Andrzej Poczobut is an abuse of a man who has not betrayed his principles and does not give up
she stressed.
Andrzej Poczobut did not give up, he did not write a pardon request to Lukashenko, so he is in prison for fighting and supporting a free Belarus. His sacrifice enables the Belarusians to fight, he is our hero. The trial of Andrzej Poczobut may once again remind the whole world of Belarus
said Cichanouska.
She added that she therefore asks the interlocutors to do everything possible to prevent new political prisoners from appearing in Belarus and to ensure that those who are political prisoners are released as soon as possible.
When asked if Poczobut could become a hostage that Aleksandr Lukashenka would trade for someone or something, Cichanouska pointed out that there are 5,000 in Belarus. political prisoners.
Andrzej never wanted to be the subject of a tender or exchange, he never agreed to it
she added.
All of Belarus wants to be liberated from the hands of the dictator; we don’t just have these 5 thousand. hostages, but the hostages are all 9 million Belarusians
– emphasizes Cichanouska.
When asked what she would like to say to the Poczobut family, she replied:
It is very difficult for all relatives of political prisoners, because in prisons not only the prisoners themselves, but also their relatives serve these sentences with the prisoners.
Every day we think that our loved ones may be tortured, that they may be in conditions where the worst criminals are detained, but at the same time we know that Belarus is supported by the entire democratic world. We want the release of all political prisoners, but also of the whole of Belarus. It is all the easier for the next of kin when they know that Europe supports us and that these prisoners will be released sooner or later
– said the leader of the Belarusian opposition.
Gosiewska: We will fight for him!
Andrzej Poczobut spoke the truth and had the courage to declare this truth. For this he was convicted. We will not leave him, we will continue to fight for him
– said Deputy Marshal of the Sejm, Małgorzata Gosiewska, in response to Wednesday’s ruling of the Grodno Regional Court.
In a political trial, Poczobut was charged with two articles of the Penal Code concerning “incitement to hatred” and “calling to act against Belarus”.
It is a very sad day, a dramatic situation. Andrzej is a symbol of what is happening in Belarus. He was convicted because he was a reliable journalist, because he was Polish, because he spoke the truth
said Gosevska.
As she added, Poczobut told the truth about the situation in Belarus after the rigged presidential election, about repression against Belarusian society.
He also told the truth about history and presented the true history of being Polish in those areas, the presence of Soviet troops. He simply spoke the truth and had the courage to speak the truth. For this he was convicted
– said the deputy marshal.
We will not leave him, we will continue to fight for him. We will make a list of Poczobut, a list of people who contributed to the fact that he was in prison, that he received such a sentence, that his health deteriorated so much
she said.
According to the deputy marshal, “Polish diplomacy is doing everything it can”.
In fact, the solution lies in Ukraine and the war going on there. Our support for Ukraine is also support for Andrzej Poczobut. Winning the war with the Russian Federation in Ukraine will be a victory for Belarusian and Georgian society, for reclaiming seized areas such as South Ossetia or Abkhazia in Georgia. This is a much broader context. Andrzej, hold on, we’re fighting for you too
– assured Deputy Marshal Gosiewska.
Fogiel: Outrageous, nothing to do with justice
The verdict against Andrzej Poczobut is outrageous and clearly has nothing to do with justice, the head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Radosław Fogiel (PiS), told PAP. This verdict only proves that Belarus is increasingly sinking into repression and totalitarianism
– added.
This is an outrageous verdict, obviously no justice at all. It was the result of a rigged trial, an expression of both political and national persecution
– commented Fogiel in an interview with PAP.
He added that this verdict only proves that Belarus is increasingly sinking into repression and totalitarianism.
Of course we will use all possible means to fight for justice and the release of Andrzej Poczobut – declared Fogiel.
Łatuszka: 8 years in prison for the right to be Polish
8 years in prison for the right to be Polish, for the right to be human; Andrzej Poczobut is a hero of the Belarusian nation who fights for freedom for Poles in Belarus and for Belarusians in Belarus
– this is how Belarusian opposition politician Paweł Łatuszka reacted to Wednesday’s verdict for Andrzej Poczobut.
8 years in prison for the right to be Polish. 8 years in prison for the right to be human. Andrzej Poczobut – a hero of the Belarusian nation, fighting for freedom for Poles in Belarus, for freedom for Belarusians in Belarus
— so Belarusian opposition politician Paweł Łatuszka referred to the verdict on Wednesday in a recording published on Twitter on Wednesday.
As he stressed, according to estimates by various experts, there are 5,000 political prisoners in Belarus.
We will not stop our fight for the freedom of all of them, for a free and free Belarus
declared Latushka.
Poczobut’s trial began on January 16 at the Grodno District Court. The hearings were secret, which was decided by the judge at the request of the prosecutor.
On Wednesday, the judge of the Grodno Regional Court announced the sentence of eight years in maximum security prison for Polish minority activist and journalist Andrzej Poczobut. Poczobut has been behind bars for almost two years. Human rights groups recognize Poczobut as a political prisoner and treat him as politically motivated. The Polish authorities and the international community are calling on the Belarusian authorities to release the activist and end the repression of minority representatives.
Poczobut, a Polish minority activist, a member of the authorities of the Union of Poles in Belarus and a well-known journalist from Grodno, was detained in March 2021 and has been detained ever since. He couldn’t meet his family.
Human rights groups consider Poczobut a political prisoner and the treatment of him politically motivated. The Polish authorities and the international community are calling on the Belarusian authorities to release the activist and end the repression against minority representatives.
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I have/PAP
Source: wPolityce