Belarus has released Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut from jail as part of a prisoner exchange, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed on Tuesday.
Tusk noted that Warsaw had been assisted in a joint diplomatic push on Minsk by the United States, Romania, and Moldova. The swap saw 10 prisoners released overall, with signs that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking to improve relations with the West, which have deteriorated due to his support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Poczobut was detained by Belarusian authorities in 2021 and later sentenced to eight years in a labor camp after a trial widely criticized by rights groups and Western governments as politically motivated. Concerns had grown about his health while in detention.
"Andrzej Poczobut is free! Welcome to your Polish home, my friend," Tusk posted on social media. Belarus also released Polish priest Grzegorz Gawel and a Belarusian who helped Polish services. Russians and Moldovans were among those swapped in a "five for five" exchange.
Tusk described the release as "the finale of a two-year-long intricate diplomatic game, full of dramatic twists," praising the work of Polish services, diplomats, and prosecutors, as well as help from American, Romanian, and Moldovan friends.
US Special Envoy John Coale said the US helped secure the release of three Polish nationals and two Moldovans. "Under President Trump, America shows up for its allies and delivers diplomatic victories no one else can," he claimed.
Poczobut, a correspondent for Gazeta Wyborcza, had been arrested multiple times in Belarus over the past decade, including for protesting the 2010 election and for allegedly insulting Lukashenko. His case drew international condemnation, with the European Parliament, Reporters Without Borders, and Amnesty International calling for his release. Earlier this year, the European Parliament awarded Poczobut the Sakharov Prize.
Lukashenko has released hundreds of detainees since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Coale expects to secure the release of additional prisoners within the next month and suggested Washington could offer Minsk sanctions relief in return.
Source: www.aljazeera.com