April 29, Pozirk. The European External Action Service (EEAS) welcomed the release of journalist and Polish minority activist Andrej Pačobut (Andrzej Poczobut), whose case “symbolized the broader repression in Belarus,” Anitta Hipper, EEAS spokeswoman, said on X.
“While we welcome his release, we call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those still unjustly imprisoned in Belarus,” the official stressed.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that the exchange at the Polish-Belarusian border marked the conclusion of “a complex diplomatic game that lasted two years and was full of dramatic twists and turns.”
The official acknowledged the excellent work of Polish government agencies, diplomats and the prosecutor’s office, along with the assistance from the United States, Romania and Moldova.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže welcomed the efforts of the US administration, while noting that Alaksandar Łukašenka and his officials continue reprisals against their political opponents, with more than 800 regime critics still held behind bars.
Yesterday, Minsk released and handed over to Poland journalist Pačobut, as well as Polish monk Grzegorz Gaweł, as part of a five-for-five exchange at the Belarusian-Polish border.
Belarus also handed over Tomasz Bieroza, a Polish citizen sentenced to 14 years in prison on spying charges widely viewed by Belarusian human rights defenders as politically motivated.
In exchange, Poland released Aleksandr Butyagin, a Russian archaeologist arrested at Ukraine’s request over excavations in annexed Crimea. Moldova released Alexandru Bălan, a former deputy chief of Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service, who had been sentenced earlier this month to 18 months in prison for allegedly leaking secret information related to Romania to officers of Belarus’ KGB. Poland also handed over Nina Popova, a Russian citizen.
Poland additionally freed Uładzisłaŭ Nadziejka, a former member of Paspalitaje Rušenne, an organization that provided weapons-handling and fitness training for exiled Belarusians. He was arrested in Białystok and accused by Polish investigators of spying for Belarus.
The identities of the remaining exchanged individuals have not been disclosed. The Polish prime minister described one of them as a Belarusian who had cooperated with Poland’s security services.
