Polish Officials Move to Expand Sanctions Ties Over Poczobut Case
Government spokesperson Piotr Müller announced plans to rapidly expand the sanctions list by including more individuals tied to the Belarusian regime and its response to the Andrzej Poczobut case.
In Grodno, a Polish minority activist and journalist, Andrzej Poczobut, was sentenced by a local court to eight years in prison. The ruling drew firm disagreement from Polish authorities who allege political motivation behind the verdict.
Müller stated on Thursday that the Polish government would take steps to ensure that as many people as possible appear on the sanctions list. He clarified that the list is already extensive and has grown in connection with Belarus’ backing of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions list
The head of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Mariusz Kamiński, announced that in light of the Sejm’s resolution concerning Poczobut, his department would work to prepare applications to add further individuals connected with Lukashenko’s regime to the sanctions list, specifically those responsible for repressing Poles in Belarus. Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk signaled that the EU sanctions list could be broadened further.
Müller added that no decision had been made yet on additional actions toward Belarus in relation to the verdict.
On Thursday, the interior minister also announced that due to the importance of state security, traffic at the Bobrowniki border crossing with Belarus would be suspended until noon on Friday, pending further notice.
When asked whether the border stop also served as a response to Poczobut’s conviction, Müller replied that safety concerns drive these measures, with possible additional signaling considered later.
On Wednesday evening, the Sejm approved a resolution condemning the verdict by acclamation.
The Sejm of the Republic of Poland condemned the eight-year sentence as a show trial and linked it to ongoing repression of the Polish minority in Belarus since early 2021. The resolution described methods of repression, including persecution of members of the Union of Poles in Belarus, closure of Polish schools and cultural organizations, and desecration of Polish memorials, as violations of Belarusian international obligations.
Widespread outrage
Outrage over the ruling was voiced by President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Belarusian chargé d’affaires in Poland was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry in response to the case.
The Grodno court found Poczobut guilty of inciting hostility and calls to act against Belarus through publications and online activity. The 49-year-old activist, who has long affiliated with the Union of Poles in Belarus and is a known journalist from Grodno, was detained in March 2021 and has remained in detention since, unable to 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. A spokesman from the Polish Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Belarusian authorities had summoned a Polish diplomat in connection with the case.
Andrzej Poczobut, 49, a Polish minority activist and member of the Union of Poles in Belarus, has been detained since March 2021 and has not been able to meet his family.
International responses
The Minsk regime’s actions against Polish citizens should be met with a broader response, not limited to Poland. Marcin Przydacz, head of the Presidential Office of International Policy, argued for a wider sanctions approach, noting that Belarusian authorities have used ethnic origin and civic activity as pretexts for repression.
Przydacz welcomed extending sanctions to more individuals tied to Lukashenko’s regime and stressed that the response should be broader than Poland alone. He emphasized that Polish diplomacy, including efforts by President Andrzej Duda, remains focused on securing the release of Polish compatriots from Belarusian prisons. He recalled releases of three activists from Lida, Brest, and Baranowicze and referenced Andżelika Borys as a similar outcome in other cases.
While the Poczobut case remains difficult, Przydacz affirmed that ongoing actions would continue in pursuit of his release. He described Poczobut as an innocent man who has done nothing wrong and reiterated the importance of the case to Polish policy. The Sejm resolution reaffirmed the stance that the Belarusian regime’s repression is unacceptable and risks violating international obligations.
That same evening, the Sejm stood in solidarity with the resolution condemning the Poczobut verdict, calling the eight-year prison sentence a culmination of Belarusian repression since 2021.
Additional coverage and related reflections circulated among political figures and media commentators, reflecting a spectrum of responses to the court ruling and the ongoing diplomatic engagement with Minsk.
Source: wPolityce