Foreign Ministry bewildered

Foreign Ministry bewildered by Poland’s calls to pressure Belarus in connection with Pochobut case.

“In connection with a number of statements made by Polish officials lately, we would like to remind everyone that Andrei Pochobut is a citizen of Belarus who lives and works in this country and, like any other citizen, is a subject of the Belarusian legal environment defined by Belarusian legislation. We are confused at the language used by representatives of the Republic of Poland that openly speak of "pressure" on Belarus in connection with the detention of Andrei Pochobut and call on the entire EU to follow suit,” the Foreign Ministry said.

According to the logic of Poland, the fact that Andrei Pochobut calls himself a journalist, is an ethnic Pole, and “was appointed” by Warsaw Chairman of the Main Board of the Union of Poles in Belarus, which actually is headed by a completely different person, makes Andrei Pochobut “untouchable”, the Foreign Ministry says.

The Foreign Ministry states that all Belarusian citizens regardless of their professional occupation and nationality are equal before the law. “Instead of making attempts to put pressure on the Belarusian justice system it would be better for our foreign initiators to remember the principle of supremacy of law which is so often replaced by political appropriateness in respect of Belarus today,” the statement says.

BelTA has earlier informed that the Grodno Oblast Investigation Committee has opened a criminal case against Andrei Pochobut under Article 367/2 (Slandering against the President of the Republic of Belarus) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. The investigation shows that a number of articles written by Andrei Pochobut and distributed via the Internet contained slander of the President of Belarus.

Police searched Andrei Pochobut’s apartment, confiscated his computers. He is now in custody.