Pačobut plans another trip to Belarus in December

October 15, Pozirk. Belarusian dissident journalist and prominent Polish minority activist Andrej Pačobut (Andrzej Poczobut) announced his intention to travel to Belarus again in December as he spoke to students in Łódź, Polskie Radio reports.

The situation in Belarus has not improved in recent years, Pačobut said, but noted that he remains hopeful for change. “Currently, the activities of the Union of Poles in Belarus are very limited. They cannot be compared to what they were before 2020. I hope that the policies of Western countries toward Belarus will help expand the scope of our activities,” he said.

Last month, Pačobut announced his intentions to return to Belarus permanently after a week-long trip to his home city of Hrodna. He was allowed to leave for Poland, defying predictions that he would be re-arrested.

Pačobut, known as a contributor to Gazeta Wyborcza, was arrested in March 2021 as part of a crackdown on the unofficial Union of Poles in Belarus. He was given eight years in prison for allegedly inciting hatred and calling for sanctions in a case widely seen as politically motivated. Authorities freed Pačobut on April 28 and deported him to Poland.

The dissident has repeatedly said that being able to return to Belarus was one of the key conditions that he set when agreeing to leave the country after his release.

Politics

Politics

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