Political prisoner Andrzej Pochoebut has returned from Poland to Belarus
Andrzej Pochobut, a journalist released from a Belarusian penal colony, crossed the border between Belarus and Poland on Tuesday, September 8, 2026. He left Belarus via the Bobrovniki border crossing at approximately 11:00 a.m.
Andrzej Poczobut was released at the end of April 2026, after spending about five years in a Belarusian maximum-security prison.
The journalist had previously stated that he intended to return to Belarus in mid-September. However, he carried out his previously stated intention earlier—on September 8, he crossed the border through the Bobrovniki checkpoint.
In April 2026, Belarus exchanged Pochoebut for Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, who had been detained in Warsaw at Ukraine’s request and subsequently handed over to Russia.
Pochobut is a well-known journalist, a correspondent for Polish media outlets, and a representative of the Polish minority in Belarus. He is an ethnic Pole and holds Belarusian citizenship.
In 2021, Alexander Lukashenko’s regime sentenced the journalist to eight years in prison, accusing him, among other things, of allegedly “rehabilitating Nazism.”
One of the conditions of the exchange agreement was that Pochobut retain his Belarusian citizenship and passport. This was of fundamental importance to the journalist, as he wanted to be able to return to Belarus after his release.
Ukrainian authorities had previously criticized Warsaw’s decision not to extradite Alexander Butyagin to Ukraine.
In late April, Georgiy Tykhyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated:
“Ukraine was disappointed to learn that, contrary to a previous, entirely just decision by a Polish court, a Russian citizen who is reasonably suspected of committing a crime on Ukrainian territory—specifically, the removal of cultural artifacts from Crimea— — was nevertheless not extradited to Ukraine,” Tykhyi said.
Thus, after his release and return to Belarus, Pochobut subsequently crossed the border again and found himself on Polish territory.
This was reported by RMF24.
As a reminder, during the Constitution Day celebrations in Warsaw, Polish President Karol Nawrocki awarded journalist and former political prisoner Andrzej Pochobut the highest state honor—the Order of the White Eagle. The official called the recipient a symbol of resilience and dedication to the fight for human rights against totalitarian regimes.
Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, who was detained in Warsaw at Ukraine’s request, was released as part of an exchange. Butyagin is known for his participation in illegal archaeological excavations in occupied Crimea and his subsequent travels throughout Europe.
