Andrei is a Grodno-based journalist, publicist, and member of the Union of Poles in Belarus. In 2011, he was sentenced to three years in prison with a two-year suspended sentence for slandering Lukashenko. He was released in court on his own recognizance. In 2012, a new criminal case was opened against him for media publications, but in 2013 it was dismissed due to lack of evidence. In the fall of that year, he was released from the first case.
On March 25, 2021, Andrei was arrested again. He was charged with inciting hatred and calling for sanctions. The charges included articles about the 2020 Belarusian protests, the defense of the Polish minority, and publications about the Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. He spent over 1.5 years in pretrial detention and was convicted in February 2023.
It is known that Andrei refused to submit a petition for pardon. He continues to be subjected to pressure and is deprived of visits and parcels. He has also received no phone calls.
On April 28, 2026, Andrzej Poczobut was released following lengthy negotiations and an exchange for Belarusian spies in Poland. He was immediately transported to Poland.
