{"id":83846,"date":"2024-05-06T16:17:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T13:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"polish-judge-flees-to-belarus-asks-for-asylum","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/","title":{"rendered":"Polish judge flees to Belarus, asks for asylum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (BelTA)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

May 6, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Tomasz Szmydt, a Polish judge, has submitted an unofficial asylum request in Belarus, says a Telegram channel created three days ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Szmydt said he was forced to leave Poland because of disagreement with the government\u2019s policy. He claimed that he \u201cwas persecuted and threatened for his independent political position.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pole asked Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka for protection and signed his resignation at a press conference set up by BelTA<\/em>, a state-run news agency in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, Szmydt and his wife were involved in a smear campaign targeting judges who opposed judicial reforms by the Law and Justice (PiS) government that was in power in Poland at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polish Foreign Minister Rados\u0142aw Sikorski told tvn24.pl<\/em> that he was “shocked” by Szmydt\u2019s defection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, Emil Czeczko, a Polish soldier fled to Belarus amid the migrant crisis. In televised interviews, he accused Polish border guards of committing atrocities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, Czeczko was found hanged at a Minsk apartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relations between Belarus and Poland are currently at a low point with tension persisting over the political persecution of ethnic Poles in Belarus, Minsk\u2019s alleged role in facilitating illegal migration from Asia and Africa into Poland, \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s anti-Polish rhetoric and support for the Russian war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: Polish defector Czeczko found dead<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 6, Pozirk. Tomasz Szmydt, a Polish judge, has submitted an unofficial asylum request in Belarus, says a Telegram channel created three days ago. Szmydt said he was forced to leave Poland because of disagreement with the government\u2019s policy. He claimed that he \u201cwas persecuted and threatened for his independent political position.\u201d The Pole asked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":83827,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-83846","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPolish judge flees to Belarus, asks for asylum | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"May 6, Pozirk. 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Tomasz Szmydt, a Polish judge, has submitted an unofficial asylum request in Belarus, says a Telegram channel created three days ago.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pozirkonline\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-09T20:10:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/polski-sudja-belta-1128.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1129\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"752\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Pozirk_online\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/\"},\"headline\":\"Polish judge flees to Belarus, asks for asylum\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-06T13:17:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-09T20:10:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/\"},\"wordCount\":226,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/polski-sudja-belta-1128.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/\",\"name\":\"Polish judge flees to Belarus, asks for asylum | Pozirk\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/83846\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/polski-sudja-belta-1128.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-06T13:17:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-09T20:10:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"May 6, Pozirk. 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