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Repression in Belarus must be stopped, former political prisoner and journalist Andrzej Poczobut said while addressing a plenary session of the European Parliament, where he was invited as a recipient of the Sakharov Prize. He received the award jointly with Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who remains in prison.
“Dear Andrzej, you are finally here. We have waited for this moment for years, hoping, praying and working for your release. It is so good to see you here in this chamber among your friends,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in her welcome remarks.
She reiterated support for Belarusian political prisoners and stressed that the European Parliament would continue working for their release.
“Today, from this chamber, we send a message loud enough to be heard through the walls of every prison cell in Belarus, in Georgia, and in every country where truth is suppressed. You are not forgotten. Europe stands with you, and we will not stop until every one of you is free,” she added.
Poczobut thanked the European Parliament and Metsola personally for their position and advocacy on behalf of Poles in Belarus, political prisoners and victims of repression.
“I want you to know that your voice is heard not only in the free world. It breaks through prison walls,” Poczobut said, speaking in Polish.
According to him, such support can soften the attitude of prison authorities who know that a prisoner has not been forgotten despite years behind bars.
“I am often asked about my experience and what I went through in prison. I would like to offer a slightly different perspective. My entire story has a broader context. It is an honour for me to represent the Union of Poles in Belarus here. For many years it was the largest, and today it is the only Polish organisation still operating in Belarus. I am also a journalist and have worked in this profession for more than 20 years. My biography has become part of the struggle for freedom of speech in Belarus,” he said.
Poczobut stressed that Poles in Belarus are an indigenous community that has lived on the land for generations. They are the country’s second-largest national minority.
“However, today we have no opportunity to teach children the Polish language within the state education system. There are no legal Polish-language media outlets. Polish military cemeteries that we cared for over many years have been levelled by bulldozers. It is in this context that my criminal case should be viewed, as one element of pressure on the Polish minority in Belarus.
There is a famous classic poem written in 1901 by the poet Władysław Bełza. Its words are: ‘Who are you? A little Pole. What is your symbol? The White Eagle.’ I think every Pole knows these words, whether born in Poland, Belarus, the United States or France.
In my case, this poem became one of the pieces of evidence used against me. According to experts selected by the Belarusian security services, it was deemed a call for separatism,” he said.
Poczobut noted that the Union of Poles has existed for 38 years, but has lacked legal status for the past 21 years. He stressed that the organisation does not engage in politics, take part in elections or seek power.
“We organise cultural and educational events, Polish-language courses, support folk ensembles and choirs, and maintain national memorial sites. There are hundreds of organisations uniting Poles living abroad, and their activities are similar to ours. Yet only in Belarus does such activity face repression. It is natural to ask why. The answer is known. The attack on the Union of Poles and the Polish minority in Belarus is part of the anti-European crusade that the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka has been waging for decades. The regime seeks to instil Soviet-style totalitarian values in new generations and to strip Belarusian society of its individuality. The Polish minority, connected to Poland, is viewed by the Belarusian regime as a group of dangerous heretics adhering to different values. The authoritarian regime is not prepared for normal competition of ideas and instead relies on coercion.
The regime’s proposal to Poles is simple: we must fully assimilate, become Belarusians, forget our history, abandon our identity and forget our native language. After my arrest, investigators told me that my crime was being too Polish,” he said.
According to Poczobut, another aspect of his criminal case was linked to his journalistic work.
“There are no free media in Belarus, and foreign correspondents who write about the regime cannot work in the country. The security services hunt down any sign of criticism appearing on social media. Today Belarus remains silent, and that silence will continue as long as political prisoners remain behind bars,” he said.
Poczobut recalled that 854 political prisoners remain imprisoned, including journalists Ihar Ilyash, Uladzimir Yanukevich and Andrei Aliaksandrau.
He expressed gratitude to Poland, the country’s Foreign Ministry, U.S. President Donald Tusk and his special envoy John Coale for his release and the release of hundreds of political prisoners.
“This is undoubtedly a success. It matters not only for those of us who have left prison. However, it is important today that these releases are not accompanied by new arrests and that the repression continuing in Belarus is stopped. The situation is such that some people are released while others are being tried. The lack of progress and the lack of improvement in the human rights situation undermine faith in the effectiveness of these negotiations,” he said.
Poczobut stressed that from Cuba and Venezuela to Afghanistan, Iran, Tibet and North Korea, people continue to face political persecution, human rights are violated and the space for freedom is shrinking under pressure from autocrats. In his view, Georgia is another example of this trend. He called for the release of Mzia Amaglobeli.
“Today the world needs a strong voice in defence of democracy and human rights. A strong voice from the leaders of the Western world, and above all a strong voice from the United States. A voice that, even during the Iron Curtain era, when Europe was divided into East and West, gave hope to those living in a communist open-air museum.
It was precisely a consistent policy based on democratic values that led to democracy’s victory in the Cold War. It brought about the collapse of the Soviet totalitarian system and ultimately the reunification of Western and Eastern Europe.
Today the European continent is once again dramatically divided. On one side stand the European Union and European values such as freedom, human dignity, the rule of law and equality before the law. On the other stands the world of Belarusian and Russian dictatorship and authoritarian values.
There, the individual exists solely to serve the interests of those in power. There are no fair courts. What is right and wrong is determined by leaders and their moods. It is this conflict of values that led to the war in Ukraine, because Russia seeks to keep Kyiv within its sphere of influence. Russia wants that country, like Belarus, to stand on its side, on the side of anti-Western authoritarianism. Today the situation in Belarus is extremely dramatic. Belarus is five minutes away from becoming a totalitarian state. And within those five minutes stands the Union of Poles in Belarus. It is very important for us to turn those five minutes into ten, so that the space of freedom grows rather than shrinks.
The history of the Union of Poles is our shared success. It is the success of the Poles of Belarus and of those forces that have supported us for years. It is a success achieved through cooperation, overcoming differences and pursuing a long-term, consistent policy.
Democracy triumphs only when an active and assertive policy is pursued. When a strong voice demands respect for human rights.
I believe that through consistent action in defence of democracy and human rights, active support for grassroots initiatives in authoritarian states and support for independent media, the moment will come when the European continent is finally united and Belarus belongs to Europe not only geographically,” Poczobut concluded.