As of: 01/16/2023 6:35 p.m
The trial of Polish journalist Poczobut has begun in Belarus. He is accused of violating national security and inciting strife. He faces up to twelve years in prison.
A trial against a correspondent of a leading Polish newspaper has begun in Belarus. Andrzej Poczobut, 49, belongs to the Polish minority in the country. He is accused of inciting hatred and “acts aimed at endangering national security”.
Poczobut, a correspondent for Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper, is also a leading member of the Union of Poles in Belarus and has been in detention since his arrest in March 2021. He faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted.
Independent journalists and Western diplomats were not admitted to the court in the western city of Grodno.
Reports of protests against Lukashenko
Poczobut reported extensively on the protest movement against President Alexander Lukashenko’s election victory in August 2020. Among other things, he had called for sanctions against Belarus.
The election was labeled as rigged by the opposition and the West. The Belarusian authorities cracked down on the opposition and demonstrators with great severity. More than 35,000 people were arrested, thousands of police officers were beaten and dozens of media outlets and non-governmental organizations were shut down.
Poland demands release
The trial is taking place against the background of growing tensions between Minsk and Warsaw and the ongoing suppression of critical voices against the authoritarian head of state Lukashenko.
The charge d’affaires at the Polish embassy in Minsk, Marcin Wojciechowski, said he was not allowed into the courtroom. Poland considers the allegations against Poczobut to be “untrue and politically motivated” and is demanding his release.
More trials against journalists
A trial against human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialjazki also began this month. In addition, five journalists from the online news site tut.by, which has since been banned, were put on trial last week, including editor-in-chief Maryna Solatava and general director Lyudmila Chekina.