Andrzej Poczobut
Andrzej Poczobut (Belarusian: Андрэй (Анджэй) Пачобут Andrej (Andžej) Pačobut, born 16 April 1973 in Vyalikaya Byerastavitsa) is a Belarusian and Polish journalist and activist of the Polish minority in Belarus. He lives in Hrodna, Belarus.
Andrzej Poczobut | |
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Poczobut in 2013 | |
| Born | 16 April 1973 Vyalikaya Byerastavitsa, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Nationality | Belarusian |
| Alma mater | Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Organization(s) | Gazeta Wyborcza, Union of Poles in Belarus |
| Known for | 2011 and 2012 imprisonments |
| Spouse | Aksana Poczobut |
| Children | 2 |
A correspondent for the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Poczobut has been arrested more than a dozen times by the government of Belarus. In 2011, he was sentenced to a fine and fifteen days in prison for "participation in the unsanctioned protest rally" following the 2010 presidential election. In 2011 and 2012, he was arrested and detained for allegedly libeling President Alexander Lukashenko in his reports. The charges against Poczobut received international condemnation, with groups including the European Parliament, Reporters Without Borders, and Amnesty International issuing statements in his support. He has been arrested again in 2021 and remains in prison as of 2022. He has been described as a political prisoner.