Andrzej Poczobut At The European Parliament: The World Needs A Strong Voice To Defend Democracy
1- 17.06.2026, 15:00
Today, the situation in Belarus is extremely dramatic and serious.
Released in April journalist and representative of the Polish minority in Belarus Andrzej Pochobut spoke at session of the European Parliament. He spoke about the situation in our country and political prisoners, and called on the Western world to fight more actively to free the European continent from authoritarian and dictatorial regimes.
The website Charter97.org quotes an excerpt from Andrzej Poczobut’s speech:
— Today, the whole world needs a strong voice in defense of democracy and human rights. A strong voice from the rulers and leaders of the Western world. Above all, a strong voice from the United States of America.
Even during the era of the “Iron Curtain,” when Europe was divided into East and West, this voice instilled hope in those living in the communist bloc. It was precisely this consistent policy, based on democratic values, that led to the victory of democracy during the Cold War, to the collapse of Soviet totalitarianism and the Soviet system, and to the reunification of Western and Eastern Europe.
Today, the European continent is once again dramatically divided. On one side stands the European Union and European values such as freedom, human dignity, the rule of law, and equality before the law. On the other—the world of Belarusian and Russian dictatorships and authoritarian values, where the individual is reduced to nothing more than a servant of the rulers’ interests. There are no fair courts, and what is good and what is bad is decided by the leaders and their henchmen.
It is precisely this conflict of values that has led to the war in Ukraine, where Russia is trying to keep Kyiv within its sphere of influence. Russia wants this country, like Belarus, to side with anti-Western authoritarianism.
Today, the situation in Belarus is extremely dramatic and serious. It is a totalitarian state in all but five minutes, and those five minutes include, among other things, the Union of Poles in Belarus. It is very important to us that those five minutes become ten, so that the space for freedom does not shrink but expands.
Democracy prevails only when an active, proactive, and assertive policy is pursued, when a strong voice demanding respect for human rights is heard.
I believe that it is precisely these long-term actions in support of democracy and human rights, along with active support for all grassroots civic initiatives and independent media, that will lead to the moment when the European continent can finally unite, and Belarus will belong to Europe not only geographically, but in a genuine sense.
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