Journalist Andrzej Poczobut Sentenced To Eight Years In Reinforced-Security Penal Colony

The verdict was handed down by Judge Dzmitry Bubenchyk.

The Hrodna regional court passed a verdict in the case of Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and one of the leaders of the Union of Poles in Belarus. He was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony.

The journalist was unlawfully accused of calling for sanctions, he was also charged under Part 3 of Article 130 (inciting racial, national, religious or other social hatred or discord) of the Criminal Code.

The trial took place behind closed doors.

The verdict was handed down by Judge Dzmitry Bubenchyk.

As the Charter97.org website wrote before, Andrzej Poczobut was detained on March 25, 2021, along with other activists of the Union of Poles in Belarus. Human rights activists recognized him as a political prisoner.