In the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we probably always talk about two issues. These are of course Ukraine and political prisoners in Belarus – said Andrzej Szejna, deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in “#BezKitu”. Michał Szczerba, MEP of the Civic Coalition, emphasized that “Andrzej Poczobut is one of 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus, but for us, for Poles, he is the most important person who should be first on the list”.
On Thursday there was the largest prisoner exchange between Russia, Belarus and Western countries since the Cold Warwhich took place in Ankara, Turkey. The operation involved 24 people from prisons in seven countries and two children who were not prisoners. Poland also participated in it, freeing the agent of the Russian military intelligence GRU Pavel Rubtsov.
Head of Polish diplomacy Radoslaw Sikorski was asked on Friday why the Polish-Belarusian journalist was not released as part of the prisoner exchange Andrzej Poczobutimprisoned by the regime in Minsk. – I would like to assure you that efforts to release other political prisoners, Belarusian political prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut, are taking place in a different manner – said Sikorski. – He is in my thoughts every day – he added.
He repeated that the Polish authorities were working for his release “every day.”
Andrzej PoczobutLukasz Dejnarowicz / Forum
This issue was discussed in Friday's “#BezKitu” by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrzej Szejna and MEP of the Civic Coalition Michał Szczerba.
– This is a very important event. We, as the Republic of Poland, acted in accordance with our treaties. I remind you that even in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty we say: one for all, all for one, so at the request of the United States and the administration of President Biden, we joined this project of freedom exchange – said Szejna.
Referring to the issue of Poczobut's imprisonment, the TVN24 guest stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is conducting “a very thorough negotiation and procedure in this regard, which, for example, also took place during the visit of President Duda and members of the government to Beijing for a meeting with President Xi Jinping”. – And we have a positive effect that on the Polish-Belarusian border, one could say, hybrid attacks have eased and fewer and fewer people are storming this border. Maybe it will also have an effect on our second demand, namely the release of Polish prisoners – he added.
The deputy minister confirmed that talks on this matter are still ongoing. – I will tell you a secret. We, the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, probably talk about two issues every time. This is of course Ukraine and these are political prisoners Belarus. This is what it looks like, he added.
Kaminski's entry: “He criticizes his benefactor”
The host Radomir Wit quoted to the program's guests the entry of the former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, currently an MEP PIS Mariusz Kamiński“Our condition for the prisoner exchange was to hand over to Poland Andrzej Poczobut, sentenced in Belarus to 8 years in prison, and Russian W., who holds a Polish Card and is sentenced to 12 years in a gulag for collaborating with Polish services. Tusk's team gave the Russians their most valuable agent and got nothing in return. Disgrace!” – he wrote.
– I will say this, Mr. Prime Minister. Donald Tusk in the entry he thanked the president and the services for their participation in this action, which was led by United Statesbut also Germany and other countries. I would like to remind Mr. Kamiński, although it is hard for me to argue with the pardoned criminal, who was pardoned by Mr. President Andrzej Dudathat, in short, he criticizes his benefactor, because, after all, President Andrzej Duda participated in this entire project – he pointed out.
– So today Kamiński is paying back President Duda, who personally accepted the thanks from the president. Joe Biden for the fact that Poland participated in this and that people who were hostages of Putin's political regime, a soldier, a journalist and Russian dissidents, returned to the country – added the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Asked if what Kamiński wrote was true, Szejna replied that he did not believe “a single word of Mr. Kamiński”. – I would like to remind you that he was convicted by a final judgment for crimes prosecuted ex officio. He is not an authority. He is a person to whom he can say anything today – he commented.
Szejna: Kamiński criticizes his benefactorTVN24
Szczerba: for Poles, Poczobut is the most important person who should be first on the list
MEP Michał Szczerba pointed out that “Kamiński was the Minister of Internal Affairs, coordinator of the special services when Andrzej Poczobut was arrested by Lukashenko's regime once again in March 2021”. – He had 2021, when he could have acted. He had 2022, 2023 and they did absolutely nothing – he stated.
– The question is whether Polish services have ever managed to extract a Pole in any exchange over the last few years. This is the first issue – he pointed out.
As he emphasized, “Andrzej Poczobut is one of 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus, but for us, for Poles, he is the most important person who should be first on the list.” – He is a journalist, a Polish activist from Grodno and he is a man who is even worthy enough to have never asked for an act of clemency from Lukashenka – he added.
Main image source: TVN24