On March 25, 2021, Andrzej Poczobut – a journalist and activist of the banned Union of Poles in Belarus – was unlawfully arrested in Grodno by the services of the Lukashenko regime. After being charged with absurd accusations, including the rehabilitation of Nazism, and spending many months in detention, he was sentenced in February 2023 to eight years in a penal colony. He is serving his sentence in a prison in Novopolotsk, one of the harshest facilities in Belarus. He has never agreed to write a request for pardon to the Belarusian criminal.
“Today, Andrzej Poczobut is the most important political prisoner of Lukashenko’s regime,” emphasizes Ales Zarembiuk, a Belarusian opposition activist and head of the Belarusian House in Warsaw.
Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish activist, journalist, and columnist, was arrested on March 25, 2021. He faced absurd charges, including the rehabilitation of Nazism and inciting national hatred. After many months, his trial began in January 2023. In February 2023, a puppet court of Lukashenko’s regime sentenced him to eight years in a high-security penal colony. On May 26 of the same year, the court rejected his appeal. Since then, he has been held in a penal colony in Novopolotsk, regarded as one of the harshest in Belarus. He has repeatedly been placed in solitary confinement, referred to as a “prison within a prison.”
In recent months, alarming reports about his condition have repeatedly reached Poland from behind prison bars. His health has reportedly deteriorated significantly, and he has been denied access to medication, food parcels, and contact with his lawyer. Human rights defenders and the Belarusian opposition have repeatedly warned that he is systematically subjected to psychological and physical torture.
The Highest Honors for Poczobut
In October last year, Andrzej Poczobut was awarded the Sakharov Prize. Established in 1988, it is the European Union’s highest distinction in the field of human rights, awarded to individuals and organizations for their contributions to freedom of speech, human rights, and democracy.
In November last year, on Polish Independence Day, by decision of the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, Poczobut was awarded Poland’s highest decoration – the Order of the White Eagle.
“Every day that Andrzej Poczobut spends in a Belarusian prison is a day of the triumph of good over evil, although it is a great suffering for him and his family. It is because of this sacrifice that every day becomes a victory of good over evil,” the President of Poland stated.
Poczobut is also a laureate of the World Association of Polish Media award “For Freedom of Speech.” He was also named “Person of the Year” 2024 in a poll conducted by the independent Belarusian portal Nasha Niva.
Still Behind Bars
Although in recent months Poczobut’s name has appeared whenever news emerged from Minsk about subsequent groups of released political prisoners – as a result of negotiations between Belarus and the United States – the Polish activist ultimately remains in a penal colony.
“After the release of Mikalai Statkevich, Pavel Seviarynets, and Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Andrzej Poczobut has become the most valuable political prisoner for Lukashenko’s regime,” says Ales Zarembiuk.
According to the opposition activist, the Belarusian dictator expects a similar move from Poland as from the United States, which delegated a high-ranking politician for talks in Minsk. Lukashenko himself has repeatedly said: “let them come and take him (Poczobut – ed.),” referring to high-ranking Polish politicians who would travel to Minsk for negotiations.
“In this way, he wants Poland to lift sanctions, ease its stance on the shared border, and back down from supporting the Belarusian opposition, independent activists, and media, most of which operate from Poland,” he argues.
Calls for His Release
On the 25th day of every month, residents of Białystok and members of the local community of Belarusian political refugees gather at the square by the monument to Blessed Fr. Jerzy Popiełuszko, demanding the release of Andrzej Poczobut and all other political prisoners in Belarus. Today marks their 60th gathering.
According to official estimates, taking into account the latest round of releases, there are currently 897 recognized political prisoners in Belarus. However, it should be remembered that these are only documented cases, and the scale of repression is much greater.
In reality, hundreds or even thousands more people may be held in pre-trial detention centers awaiting court hearings. This is extremely difficult to verify, as families – fearing repression such as property confiscation – often do not inform human rights organizations about their loved ones.
“Information about the release of political prisoners may suggest that the situation in Belarus has improved. Unfortunately, this is not the case,” emphasizes Ales Zarembiuk.