Journalist and former political prisoner Andrzej Poczobut, who was released in April, said he plans to return to Belarus next week. He made the statement during a meeting of the Main Council of the Union of Poles in Belarus, held in Białystok, Polskie Radio Białystok reported.
He plans to travel to Hrodna despite the Union of Poles in Belarus congress being postponed from September to March.
“I do not yet know the exact date and place where I will cross the border, but it will be next week. I am not going there for personal reasons. This is a cause to which I have devoted a significant part of my life. I want this cause to function and for the Union to grow,” he said.
About 50 people took part in the meeting. It was the first time in three years that a council meeting was held with such a significant number of participants. The organisation decided to postpone the congress scheduled for September by six months, citing security concerns.
“We are not officially recognised by the Belarusian authorities, and our activities are subject to a criminal provision carrying a sentence of three to eight years for activities related to an unregistered organisation. Therefore, we continue this work and are postponing the meeting for six months for security reasons,” said Anzhalika Borys, chairwoman of the Union of Poles in Belarus.
She stressed that efforts to legalise the organisation’s activities were continuing.
“If the Polish side informs us that there is any official information from the Belarusian authorities that we can count on the legalisation of our activities, then I will make such a decision,” Borys said.
The Union of Poles in Belarus has not been recognised by the country’s authorities since 2005. The organisation has about 12,000 members, while more than 3,000 children study Polish in public educational institutions.
Andrzej Poczobut has repeatedly said he intends to return to Belarus for the Union of Poles in Belarus congress, which was initially scheduled for September 13. After his release in April 2026 as part of a prisoner exchange, he received a Belarusian passport and assurances that he could return to the country.
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 hostility and calling for sanctions. In April 2026, the journalist was released as part of a “5-for-5” exchange and handed over to Poland.
