Andrzej Poczobut

Andrzej Poczobut (White Russian Андрэй Пачобут ) (born 16 April 1973 in Wjalikaja Bjerastawitza in Belarus ) is a Belarusian journalist and political activist who comes from the Polish-speaking minority in Belarus.

Life

Poczobut previously worked for various newspapers and magazines in Belarus, for example, for serving, Narodnaya Volya, Glos znad Niemna and Magazyn Polski. In August 2011, he worked for the Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza. He was at that time one of the leading members of the Union of Poles in Belarus.

Pozcobut lives with his wife, daughter and son in Grodno.

Arrests and their consequences

Late 2010 and early 2011 respectively Poczobut was arrested by the authorities of the country. He was accused, among other things participate in a protest not approved. In the first trial, he was fined, the second ended with 15 days imprisonment. Poczobuts objections that he had attended as a journalist, the events did not help his apartment was searched, computers and other documents were seized.

Against the detention Poczobuts the European Parliament President, Jerzy Buzek protested. In addition, other institutions such as Amnesty International and the Committee turned to Protect Journalists ( CPJ ) against state arbitrariness. Poczubuts approval as a journalist was taken from him. A proposal of the authorities, but to work from Warsaw, he refused.