Анжелика Борис. Фото: facebook.com/andzelika.borys
Former political prisoner and activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus Anzhalika Borys told LRT about her meeting with Andrzej Poczobut after his release. According to her, the administration of Alyaksandr Lukashenka informed her that Poczobut had been pardoned at her request and at the request of his mother.
“I was told by the presidential administration that Andrzej was pardoned at my request and at the request of his mother. And that he would have a choice”, she said. — “He can leave for Poland, but he can also return. The most important thing is that he is free and has a passport”.
According to her, Poles in Belarus had prayed, submitted petitions and waited for this news for years.
“It is very important for us that our colleague Andrzej Poczobut is free, that he has a choice, that he is not restricted in any way”, she said.
“My first words were: thank God for everything”, she added.
During his five years in detention, Borys met Poczobut twice. Their first meeting after his release took place in Belavezhskaya Pushcha and lasted about three hours.
“We spoke calmly for about three hours”, she said.
According to her, the conversation also covered the activities of the Union of Poles in Belarus.
“We talked about the organisation, about the fact that it continues to operate, that children are learning the Polish language, that we are holding events. This is the most important thing for us”, she noted.
She said the organisation has about 20,000 members.
“It is a large structure — about 20,000 people — and in fact the only one that functions normally in Belarus today”, she said.
According to her, this is possible thanks to the consent of the Belarusian authorities.
“Without this, functioning would be impossible”, she added.
Borys believes that the only way to improve the situation is dialogue.
“The Union of Poles has always advocated dialogue and good relations. As a Polish minority in Belarus, we particularly need stability and good relations with Poland, as well as open dialogue”, she stressed. — “Even a difficult dialogue is better than none. It is better than war”.
It was recalled that on April 28, a 5-for-5 exchange took place at the Pererov–Belovezha border crossing on the Belarusian-Polish border. Three Poles and two Moldovans were released by Belarus and Russia. Belarus handed over to Poland journalist Andrzej Poczobut, Carmelite monk Grzegorz Gavel, and Tomasz Beroza, convicted on espionage charges. Russia handed over two Moldovan intelligence officers to Moldova.
Poland handed over to Russia archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, and to Belarus Belarusian spy Uladzislau Nadzeika. Moldova handed over to Belarus former intelligence officer Alexandru Balan, and to Russia Russian citizen Nina Popova.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met Andrzej Poczobut at the border. He wrote that the first words of the former political prisoner were a question about the possibility of returning to Belarus.
Anzhalika Borys was detained in March 2021. A criminal case was opened against her under Article 130 of the Criminal Code on inciting hatred. A year later, she was released from pre-trial detention and placed under house arrest at her mother’s home in Hrodna. In April 2023, media reported that Anzhalika Borys and her mother had been summoned to Minsk. In the Belarusian capital, she was handed a decision to terminate the criminal case due to lack of evidence of a crime. Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that he had allegedly “amnestied and pardoned” Borys.