At the Polish-Belarusian border, a prisoner exchange is taking place under the «five for five» formula. Among the participants in the operation was Andrzej Poczobut — a Polish-Belarusian journalist and activist of the Polish minority in Belarus.
Poczobut collaborated with Polish media for many years, covering the situation in Belarus. He was detained on March 25, 2021, and spent 1950 days in prison. He was convicted for critical statements against Alexander Lukashenko
The exchange was the result of months of private negotiations between the Belarusian KGB and the Polish Intelligence Agency, media reports.
At the border, Andrzej Poczobut was personally greeted by the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk. He posted the first photograph of the political prisoner on his social media.
“Andrzej Poczobut is free. Welcome to your Polish home, friend,” Donald Tusk wrote on the X platform.
“Unwavering. ‘Will I be able to return there?’ were his first words. ‘Only you decide. Now you are a free man,’ I replied,” Tusk’s post states.
