Deputy Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, indicated that a formal statement had been prepared for the Council of Europe. The statement received support from nearly 30 parliamentarians from several countries. The aim is to urge the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Committee of Ministers to press Belarus on the Andrzej Poczobut case with strong and clear language.
Actions taken by Poland
On February 8, the Grodno Regional Court sentenced Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish minority activist and journalist, to eight years in prison. Mularczyk told Polish Radio 24 that the Polish state would respond decisively to the case and that the pressure would extend beyond domestic channels to the international arena.
He noted that the border situation had influenced the reaction, yet the strategy would enlist a sustained, high-impact effort at the international level, ensuring that the issue remains a priority on the diplomatic agenda.
In addition, Mularczyk confirmed the preparation of a statement for the Council of Europe, supported by nearly 30 parliamentarians from different countries. The aim is to urge the Council of Europe leadership and the Committee of Ministers to engage firmly with Belarus on this matter.
Outrage over the verdict was voiced by President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In connection with the ruling, the chargé d’affaires of the Belarusian embassy in Poland was summoned to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs for explanations.
READ ALSO: The Belarusian regime issues a verdict against Andrzej Poczobut and eight-year imprisonment is handed down. The US State Department notes that the conviction demonstrates the Belarusian authorities’ disregard for human rights. The President has stated that Moscow’s governors must fall and that justice will prevail, calling for Belarusian liberation and the support of Andrzej Poczobut.
The trial of Andrzej Poczobut
Andrzej Poczobut, 49, is a Polish minority activist and a member of the Union of Poles in Belarus. A well-known journalist from Grodno, he was detained in March 2021 and has remained in custody since, with limited contact with his family. The trial began on January 16 at a court in Grodno. Hearings were held in secret at the prosecutor’s request, according to the Belarusian court, which cited calls for actions against Belarus through media and online activity as grounds for the decision. The February 8 verdict is not final and is subject to further review.
Human rights organizations have identified Poczobut as a political prisoner. The Polish authorities and the international community continue to call on Belarus to release him and to end the repression of minority representatives.
ALSO SEE: The Prime Minister’s response condemns the punishment as inhumane and commits to helping the Polish journalist. Mularczyk emphasizes that Andrzej Poczobut must not be forgotten and that Belarusian authorities should feel the significance of this issue for Poland. Sanctions on Belarus regarding Poczobut have been imposed by the government, and Belarusian authorities responded by summoning the Polish diplomat to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.