site.btaBelarusian Authorities Prepared to Use Journalist Andrzej Poczobut as Bargaining Chip, Activist Anna Kietlinska Tells BTA

The Belarusian authorities clearly have a plan for journalist Andrzej Poczobut, said Anna Kietlinska, chair of the Podlaskie Voivodeship branch of the Polish Community Association, in an interview with BTA.

Kietlinska represented Poczobut, one of this year's two winners of the Sakharov Prize, at the award ceremony in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday. Poczobut is serving an eight-year sentence under harsh conditions in a penal colony in Novopolotsk, Belarus. The other winner of the Sakharov Prize is Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who is also imprisoned in her home country.

Andrzej Poczobut was not among the 123 political prisoners released by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday. On Tuesday, the award was accepted in the plenary hall of the European Parliament on Poczobut's behalf by his daughter Yana. 

Following is the full text of the interview, with an English translation provided simultaneously.

Q: Anna, congratulations on being here. Any message from you to the Bulgarian people? 

A: Andrzej Poczobut is an activist who fights for the rights of the Polish minority in Belarus and for democracy. He is therefore a symbol of the struggle against the authoritarian regime and the fight for freedom of expression and speech, and the right to preserve one's identity and traditions. The regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko convicted him as a journalist who spoke and wrote the truth, reflecting the tense situation in Belarus and the regime's actions in 2020. He was also condemned for fighting for the rights of the Polish minority in Belarus and for striving for historical truth. The government did not like his message. For these activities, Lukashenko's regime sentenced him to eight years in a maximum-security prison colony. Even there, however, Andrzej did not give in to the regime in Minsk. He refuses to apply for a pardon in order to be released, knowing that his conviction and imprisonment were unjust. His behaviour serves as an example to all those detained and repressed by the Belarusian authorities, as well as those who have been released, and the Polish minority in Belarus. Thanks to Andrzej's example, they all realize that you must stand up for your values and defend what you believe in, no matter what repressive measures the totalitarian regime takes against you. All totalitarian regimes fear the truth. Andrzej showed that he could remain strong and not be broken by the regime.

This will be remembered by everyone who opposes governments that do not respect human rights and who are prepared to take action against democracy. Andrzej Poczobut's name has become a symbol for the whole world. All those who defend the values he fought for and for which he was imprisoned can take him as an example. I hope that people in Bulgaria will follow in his footsteps.

Q: Do you know anyone in Bulgaria who shares your political views?

A: Unfortunately, I cannot say that I know anyone in Bulgaria who shares my political views. I have acquaintances there, but we're not close enough to share the same views.

Q: Are you aware of the current situation in Bulgaria?

A: I am more familiar with the political situation in Belarus and Poland's neighbouring countries.

Q: Why do you think Andrzej Poczobut was not among the 123 political prisoners released by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Saturday?

A: This is the second group of political prisoners in Belarus to be released. The US helped secure the release of 52 people, and as you said, over a hundred people have now been released. Every time a list was drawn up, calculations and political negotiations began, forcing the US and Europe to impose sanctions on Belarus. The fact that Poczobut has not been included on any of the lists drawn up so far suggests that the Belarusian authorities clearly have plans for him, and are prepared to use him as a bargaining chip in future negotiations in exchange for someone else's release. He is currently one of the most famous prisoners held by Lukashenko. The Belarusian regime is well aware that Andrzej Poczobut's release is of great importance to the Polish authorities and citizens.

Conversely, the Polish authorities have made gestures towards Minsk, such as opening the border with Belarus, in an attempt to secure the release of Poczobut and others who are being repressed by the Belarusian authorities. Unfortunately, these gestures have not been reciprocated, and Poczobut remains imprisoned in a penal colony in Novopolotsk. We are now waiting to find out what is at stake and what the Belarusians have in mind. We hope that Poczobut will be allowed to leave the penal colony as soon as possible, especially given that he was awarded the Sakharov Prize. Andrzej is a man of principle and will not under any circumstances trade his release with the Belarusian regime.