Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist, activist of the Polish minority and one of the best-known political prisoners of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime, has been released after spending five years in a Belarusian prison. His release was confirmed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who welcomed him at the Polish-Belarusian border. “Andrzej Poczobut is free! Welcome to your Polish home, my friend,” the prime minister wrote on social media.
According to information provided by Belarusian state agency BelTA, Poczobut was released as part of a prisoner exchange between Poland and Belarus in a “five-for-five” format. The Belarusian side described the move as the result of a long and complex negotiation process between the Belarusian KGB and Poland’s Foreign Intelligence Agency, with the involvement of intelligence services from several other countries. The details of the exchange have not been fully disclosed, and the Polish side has been cautious in commenting on its behind-the-scenes aspects.
Poczobut’s release has a significance that goes far beyond one individual case. For years, his name has symbolized the repression of independent journalists, civic activists and representatives of the Polish minority in Belarus. He was detained on March 25, 2021, in Grodno. The Belarusian regime accused him, among other things, of “inciting hatred” and acting against state security. From the beginning, Poland, the European Union and organizations defending freedom of speech regarded these charges as politically motivated.
In February 2023, a Belarusian court sentenced Poczobut to eight years in a penal colony. The trial took place under the conditions of an authoritarian state, where the judiciary remains subordinated to the ruling apparatus. The journalist was sent to a high-security penal colony in Novopolotsk, where he had limited contact with his family, struggled to obtain medical care and was repeatedly placed in solitary confinement.
For years, Poczobut’s case remained one of the most important issues in Poland’s relations with Belarus. Warsaw consistently demanded his release, raising the issue both in bilateral contacts and in international forums. Poczobut was also repeatedly mentioned in resolutions and appeals concerning human rights, media freedom and the situation of the Polish minority in Belarus.
The United States also reacted to the journalist’s release. American diplomacy emphasized the role of cooperation with Poland and the involvement of John Coale, the U.S. special envoy for Belarus. In comments following Poczobut’s release, it was stressed that the case formed part of broader, multilateral diplomatic efforts.
Poczobut’s return to Poland is both a humanitarian and diplomatic success, but it does not mark the end of the problem of political prisoners in Belarus. People sentenced for civic, journalistic or opposition activity — and in some cases simply for opposing Lukashenko’s regime — remain in Belarusian prisons. For this reason, Poczobut’s release will likely be seen both as a moment of relief and as a reminder that the system of repression in Belarus remains one of the most serious problems in Eastern Europe.
For Poland, this case carried particular importance. Poczobut was not only a journalist and a Belarusian citizen of Polish origin, but also a man who for years documented the situation of Poles in Belarus and opposed the falsification of history and repression against independent communities. His release closes one of the most dramatic chapters in recent Polish-Belarusian relations, while at the same time raising questions about future policy toward Minsk and the fate of the remaining political prisoners.
