Belarusian and Polish citizen Karina Zdanievich-Spychalska, detained in Italy in February on the basis of an Interpol notice, is now free and has returned to her family in Poland, MOST reports.
As previously reported, Karina was detained in early February at Orio al Serio Airport under an arrest warrant issued in 2021 by a deputy prosecutor in Brest. She is accused of “intentional economic insolvency,” meaning bankruptcy allegedly committed in 2017–2018. The woman links the warrant to her political activism in 2020. Karina spent five days in a prison in Bergamo and then lived with acquaintances in Milan under reporting obligations.
Karina said she learned that Belarusian authorities were searching for her in 2024, when she flew to Bali. At the airport, she was informed of Interpol-related problems and was denied entry into the country. In May 2025, she was also denied entry to Turkey.
The woman was also detained in Poland, but after speaking with police she was released and warned not to travel to Belarus.
Until February, Karina had traveled throughout the Schengen zone without problems, but when leaving Italy, the system was triggered during ticket scanning at the airport.
The woman spent five days in prison and then was unable to leave Italy for three and a half months, living with acquaintances under reporting obligations. The preventive measure was later annulled, and on May 18 she returned to her family in Poland, though she still has to travel to Italy for court hearings in her case.
In Italy, Karina managed to find out that Belarusian authorities are seeking her over allegedly causing intentional economic insolvency (bankruptcy). The documents state that she owes a bank 60,000 euros. Previously, according to her, the amount was 6,000 euros.
Karina explained that in 2017, when she was already living in Poland, her sole proprietorship entered bankruptcy proceedings. Belarusian lawyers handled the case.
“Now I understand that I should have received some final bankruptcy document. I never received it. But other lawyers told me it existed,” Karina said.
Belarus submitted the request only in September 2020, and the woman was added to the Interpol database a year later. Karina believes the warrant is connected to her political activism — she took part in rallies in Warsaw and posted on social media.
After her arrest in Italy, Karina contacted Tsikhanouskaya’s Office, which sent a letter explaining the situation. After the case is concluded, Karina plans to seek removal from the Interpol database.
