Andrzej Poczobut

Affiliated media: Journalist

Incident date: March 25, 2021

Attack type:

• Administrative arrest, remand, pre-trial detention, prison

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Grodno

Additional information:

Police conducted a three-hour search in the apartment of Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and board member of the unofficial Union of Poles in Belarus. They confiscated computers, phones, Polish-language literature and documents (including those that belonged to his daughter), awards from the Polish GrandPress competition, and badges from conferences. The search was carried out as part of a criminal case brought against Poczobut “for inciting hatred” (Article 130 of the Criminal Code). After the search had concluded, Poczobut was taken to Minsk for interrogation at the central offices of the Investigative Committee. He refused to answer any questions, and was detained for 72 hours. On the evening of 26 March, it was revealed that the journalist had been placed in a pre-trial detention centre.