{"id":3291,"date":"2012-06-23T23:56:19","date_gmt":"2012-06-23T23:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/?p=3291"},"modified":"2012-06-23T23:56:19","modified_gmt":"2012-06-23T23:56:19","slug":"polish-reporter-held-in-belarus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/polish-reporter-held-in-belarus\/","title":{"rendered":"Polish reporter held in Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poland has summoned the Belarusian ambassador to demand the release of a Polish newspaper’s reporter arrested this week, warning that Mi\u0144sk risked further isolation and tougher sanctions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Andrzej Poczobut<\/strong>, the Belarus correspondent of Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza and a prominent Polish-Belarusian minority activist, was arrested for insulting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, less than a year after serving jail time for similar offences.<\/p>\n

Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Jerzy Pomianowski, summoned the Belarusian ambassador in Warsaw and handed in a protest note demanding Poczobut’s immediate release, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement late on Friday.<\/p>\n

Pomianowski pointed out that such actions deepen the self-isolation of Belarusian authorities and further strain the relations of Belarus with the European Union, causing another wave of criticism from the international community, which as a consequence may lead to a strengthening of the existing sanctions.<\/p>\n

Poczobut was being held in Grodno, his home town in western Belarus.<\/p>\n

In power since 1994, Lukashenko tolerates little dissent and routinely locks up political opponents.<\/p>\n

The European Union has introduced sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes against Lukashenko and some of his officials after a crack-down on public protests against the president’s re-election in December 2010.<\/p>\n

In a move seen by analysts as an attempt to mend ties with Europe, in April Lukashenko released from prison opposition leader Andrei Sannikov, his main competitor in the last election.<\/p>\n

Do nast<\/strong>\u0119pnego razu… <\/strong>(Till next time…)<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poland has summoned the Belarusian ambassador to demand the release of a Polish newspaper’s reporter arrested this week, warning that Mi\u0144sk risked further isolation and tougher sanctions. Andrzej Poczobut, the Belarus correspondent of Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza and a prominent Polish-Belarusian minority activist, was arrested for insulting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, less than…<\/p>\n

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