Former political prisoner Andrzej Poczobut has arrived in Minsk and visited Valadarka, the former Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1 on Volodarsky Street.
“In Minsk. Right in the center. I visited Valadarka, this time from the other side of the wall,” Poczobut wrote on X.
From the 1940s until 2024, Pishchalauski Castle on Valadarsky Street housed Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1. Poczobut was held there after his arrest in 2021. Reconstruction of the building began in 2025. A multifunctional complex with cafes and restaurants is planned to open there.
Belarusian journalist of Polish origin Andrzej Poczobut was detained in March 2021. In February 2023, he was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of inciting hatred and calling for sanctions. In April 2026, the journalist was released as part of a “5-for-5” exchange and transferred to Poland. On September 8, Poczobut returned to Belarus to meet with his family and fellow members of the Union of Poles in Belarus. He plans to stay in Belarus for a week.
