Polish Newsweek Calls Andrzej Poczobut 'Person Of Decade'

"A man stronger than steel."

The Polish editorial board of the American edition of Newsweek has awarded the Belarusian political prisoner, journalist and one of the leaders of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andrzej Poczobut with the Teresa Taranska Prize in the category "Figure of the Decade".

"An excellent journalist, colleague, a man stronger than steel," said journalist Jacek Pawlicki about him. He noted that Poczobut could not receive the award because he is in prison.

"But he will survive. You'll see! He'll write a text about the fall of Lukashenka," said Pawlicki. His words are quoted by Radio Svaboda.

Andrzej Poczobut was detained in spring 2021 and charged under two articles of the Criminal Code: "calls for actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus" and "incitement of hostility or discord". In February 2023, the journalist was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment in a reinforced regime colony.

In August, Poczobut was sent to the penal colony for 6 months. And in early February it became known that he was transferred to the punishment cell. At that time, he had not received parcels for 8 months.