Actions to put as many people as possible on the sanctions list related to Andrzej Poczobut’s conviction, government spokesman Piotr Müller announced.
On Wednesday, the Grodno court sentenced Polish minority activist and journalist Andrzej Poczobut to eight years in prison.
We strongly disagree with such actions by the Belarusian regime
Muller said Thursday.
We will take action to ensure that as many people as possible get on this list
he said when asked who will be on the sanctions list.
He noted that the list “is already long” and has expanded due to Belarus’ support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions list
The head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Mariusz Kamiński, announced that in connection with the resolution of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland regarding Andrzej Poczobut, he has instructed his services to prepare applications for inclusion in the sanctions list of other persons involved with the Lukashenko regime, responsible for the repression against Poles in Belarus. Attempts to further expand the EU sanctions list were announced by Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk.
Müller added that no decision has yet been made on further actions against Belarus in connection with Wednesday’s verdict.
On Thursday, the head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration also announced that “due to the great importance of state security”, traffic at the Polish-Belarusian border crossing in Bobrowniki will be suspended until further notice at noon on Friday.
When asked if the traffic stop at the intersection is also a response to Andrzej Poczobut’s conviction, Müller said: “These decisions are being made for safety reasons, but if anyone wants to see it as an additional signal, I’ll leave it for additional evaluation.”
On Wednesday evening, the Sejm adopted a resolution by acclamation condemning the verdict of the Belarusian court.
The Sejm of the Republic of Poland strongly condemns the sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut in a show trial to 8 years in prison. This verdict is the culmination of the repression by the Belarusian authorities against the Polish minority in Belarus, which has been ongoing since the beginning of 2021.
says the resolution.
It stressed that the forms of repression hitherto, the persecution of members of the Union of Poles in Belarus, the liquidation of Polish schools and cultural organizations and the desecration of Polish memorials are unacceptable acts, contrary to Belarusian international obligations -Russia.
Widespread outrage
The outrage over the verdict against Andrzej Poczobut was expressed on Wednesday by President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others. In connection with this verdict, Aleksander Czasnouski, the chargé d’affaires of the Belarusian embassy in Poland, was summoned to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The court in Grodno on Wednesday found Andrzej Poczobut guilty of “activities aimed at inciting hostility and hatred on national, religious and social grounds” and “calling to act against Belarus”.
A 49-year-old 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. According to the Belarusian court, Poczobut allegedly “calls for actions against Belarus” through publications in the media and on the Internet, as well as committing “deliberate actions aimed at inciting hostility and hatred at national, religious and social grounds”. Since his arrest, the journalist has been in constant detention. He couldn’t meet his family.
Chargé d’affaires summoned
At 4:30 p.m. Warsaw time, the Polish chargé d’affaires in Minsk Marcin Wojciechowski was summoned to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
– informed the spokesperson of the Polish Ministry of Diplomacy Łukasz Jasina.
On Wednesday, in connection with the announcement by the court in Grodno of an eight-year prison sentence with increased security for Polish minority activist and journalist Andrzej Poczobut, the chargé d’affaires of the Belarusian embassy in Poland, Aleksander Czasnouski, was summoned to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry announced on Twitter that the Belarusian authorities had summoned a Polish diplomat.
Andrzej Poczobut, 49, 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.
International responses should be broader
The persecution of Polish citizens by the Minsk regime cannot go unanswered; not only Poland should respond with sanctions to the Andrzej Poczobut verdict; Sanctions should be much broader
Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Office of International Policy, believes.
The persecution of Polish citizens by the Minsk regime because of their ethnic origin or because of their civic activity cannot go unanswered and will not go unnoticed
– told PAP the head of the President’s Office of International Policy.
Przydacz welcomed the announcement of an extension of sanctions to more people associated with Lukashenko’s regime. According to him, not only Poland should respond with sanctions, but the response should be much broader.
The minister emphasized that Polish diplomacy, also with the involvement of President Andrzej Duda, is making efforts to free our compatriots from Lukashenko’s prisons. He recalled that three Polish activists had been released from Lida, Brest and Baranowicz; it was similar in the case of Andżelika Borys.
The situation with editor Poczobut is more difficult and complicated, but every effort was made to release him. No positive result so far. Unfortunately, it is clear that the Lukashenko regime has taken Andrzej Poczobut as a sort of hostage
said Przydacz.
But this does not mean that we, as the presidential center and Polish diplomacy, will not take further action to secure the release of Andrzej Poczobut. This is a very important matter for us. He is an innocent man who has done nothing wrong
assured the minister.
On Wednesday evening, the Sejm adopted a resolution by acclamation condemning the verdict of the Belarusian court.
The Sejm of the Republic of Poland strongly condemns the sentencing of Andrzej Poczobut in a show trial to 8 years in prison. This verdict is the culmination of the repression by the Belarusian authorities against the Polish minority in Belarus, which has been ongoing since the beginning of 2021.
says the resolution.
It stressed that the forms of repression hitherto, the persecution of members of the Union of Poles in Belarus, the liquidation of Polish schools and cultural organizations and the desecration of Polish memorials are unacceptable acts, contrary to the international obligations of Belarus -Russia.
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— The Sejm condemned Poczobut’s conviction. “This verdict is the culmination of the repression by the Belarusian authorities since the beginning of 2021”
– Fancy Andrzej Poczobut. Comments politicians: “He had the courage to speak this truth”; “He is innocent and must be released”
— President: “Governors of Moscow (…) must fall and justice will prevail”; “Liberate Belarus and her loyal son Andrzej Poczobut will win!”
pn/PAP/Twitter
Source: wPolityce