Гжегож Гавел. Фото: karmelici.pl
Belarus has handed over Carmelite monk Grzegorz Gawel to Poland. He had been detained in Belarus in 2025 on charges of espionage.
“Among those released is also monk Grzegorz Gawel, who had been detained by the Belarusian KGB,” Radio Zet journalist Mariusz Gierszewski wrote on X.
The detention of the Polish monk became known in September 2025. Belarusian propaganda claimed that Gawel had allegedly been collecting information about the “Zapad-2025” military exercises.
The Belarusian KGB and Poland’s Intelligence Agency carried out a 5-for-5 exchange today at the Belarusian-Polish border. Belarus handed over journalist Andrzej Poczobut to Poland. Poland extradited to Russia Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin. Moldova handed over to Belarus former Moldovan intelligence officer Alexandru Balan, convicted of treason in the interests of the Belarusian KGB. Two Moldovan intelligence officers detained in Russia were also returned to Moldova.