Łukašenka claims Poland does not care about Pačobut

January 16, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has accused Poland of refusing to negotiate the release of Andrej Pačobut, a journalist and Polish minority activist, who is serving a lengthy prison term after being convicted in what is widely seen as politically-motivated case.
“As for Pačobut, there’s nothing to say,” the state-run media outlets quoted him as saying during a visit to Minsk City Technology Park today. “I tell you frankly, they [Poles] abandoned Pačobut. . . The Poles refused to even talk about Pačobut. As far as I am informed, Pačobut doesn’t want to go there [Poland].”
Łukašenka also reiterated that he was unwilling to stop illegal migrants from Asia and Africa from traveling through Belarus to the European Union as long as Western sanctions remained in place.
“Let them close down all [border crossings]. We don’t go there and we don’t supply anything there. . . .They have imposed sanctions against us and we are not fighting against that migration and the people who want to live there and who go there. . . I will not defend them with the noose around my neck,” he said.
The Polish-Belarusian border security is crucial for Schengen area security and Warsaw does not currently see any indications that it is safe to reopen the border crossings, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said earlier this week.
The minister blamed Belarus for its refusal to release Pačobut and cooperate in investigating last year’s murder of a Polish soldier.
Poland continues to suspect Belarusian security agencies of organizing and facilitating illegal migration at the border and has no room for action until Belarus demonstrates goodwill, Siemoniak stressed.
Belarus sentenced journalist and Polish minority activist Pačobut to eight years in prison in February 2023. In response, Warsaw closed down the major border crossing, Bobrowniki (Bierastavica), linking its reopening to Pačobut’s release.

Polish interior minister rules out checkpoint reopening
- PoliticsŁukašenka to meet Putin in Russia tomorrowThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsOfficial blames sanctions for lack of logging equipment spare partsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics
- PoliticsDeputy prime minister Karanik arrives in ChinaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyTrain crew quickly contains blaze at Pahodzina stationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics
- PoliticsBelarus to open consulate general in Tatarstan for six Russian regionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: admin accused of filming Russian military hardwareThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityRussian-born Butraniec appointed as deputy chairman of State Border CommitteeThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityLithuania, Latvia report a spike in irregular border crossing attemptsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarusian steelmaker scales back output to maintain profitabilityThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- PoliticsBelarus' FM accuses the West of impeding development of other countriesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Economy
- EconomyBelarus to raise subsistence minimum budget on May 1The material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition politician slams prison sentences against Kalinoŭski fighters as revengeThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyGovernment allows hunting bears, lynxesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityJournalists expose Belarusian company’s links with Russian defense industryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRights groups declare seven new political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: jailed activist Kaleśnikava turns 43The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityMinsk court sentences five Belarusian volunteer fighters to lengthy prison termsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyMore than 17,000 Belarusians visited Georgia in Q1The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityArmy battalion conducting offensive exercise near AsipovičyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsUN experts sound alarm over forced psychiatric treatment of Belarusian dissidentsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Economy