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
- PoliticsJailed Babaryka Jr to stand another trialThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsBaltic states unplug from power grid shared with Belarus, RussiaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: two Belarusians convicted for disrupting Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsNGOs attempted a coup in 2020 – Belarusian ambassador claimsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyGeorgia did not satisfy a single asylum request from Belarusians in 2019–2024The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus reports death of a foreigner at Latvian borderThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- EconomyBelarus officials, entrepreneurs discussing ways to improve business conditionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyGovernment brands 30 people as extremistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUkraine's outgoing envoy: democratic change possible in Belarus after Russia's defeatThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBiełaruski Hajun shuts down after security breachThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsCichanoŭskaja asks Albania to use UN to help Belarusian political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarusians net sellers of foreign currency in JanuaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus’ foreign exchange reserves up 4.6 percent in JanuaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition, Pact of Free Cities agree on self-government training for BelarusiansThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyOfficials boast expanding cell service coverage in 2024The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, Politics
- EconomyGovernment cuts export duties on selected oil products by 60 percentThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: data breach of opposition chat fuels evacuation requestsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- EconomyRussia’s Lada outsells China's Geely in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsHuman rights activists designate 16 as former political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLocal officials to approve appointments of CEOs to private companiesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsOpposition politician Łatuška meets with Dutch ambassador in WarsawThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCIS states debate AI regulationsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Economy