Belarus seeks to strengthen ties with the West after journalists release

Belarus Releases Polish-Belarusian Journalist as Part of Prisoner Exchange

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed on Tuesday that Belarus has released Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut from jail, as part of a prisoner exchange with Poland. The release was facilitated by joint diplomatic efforts involving the United States, Romania, and Moldova.

Poczobut had been detained in 2021 and sentenced to eight years in a labor camp after a trial widely criticized by rights groups and Western governments. Concerns about his health while in detention had grown in recent years.

As part of the prisoner exchange, Belarus also released Polish priest Grzegorz Gawel and a Belarusian who helped Polish services, whose name was not disclosed. Russians and Moldovans were among those swapped in a “five for five” exchange.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski had previously met with US Special Envoy to Belarus John Coale, discussing “important issues”. Coale stated that the US had helped secure the release of three Polish nationals and two Moldovans. The announcement came hours after Coale’s meeting with Sikorski.

The prisoner exchange was part of a diplomatic effort that involved lengthy negotiations between Poland and Belarus. Tusk credited the efforts of Polish diplomats, prosecutors, and services, as well as assistance from American, Romanian, and Moldovan officials.

Poczobut had been arrested multiple times in Belarus over the past decade, including in 2011 for participating in protests following Belarus’s presidential election. He was later detained again on accusations of insulting Lukashenko. The European Parliament had previously awarded Poczobut the Sakharov Prize, along with Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli.

The release of Poczobut and other prisoners has been seen as a positive development in relations between Belarus and the West.

Source: Al Jazeera