Grzegorz Gavel

A monk of the Carmelite order, he belongs to the community of the Carmelite monastery of the Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Krakow.

Grzegorz Havel was born in Rzeszow, Poland. In 2018, he decided to dedicate his life to prayer in the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. He took his first temporary vows on August 18, 2020, and renewed them annually. On March 19, 2025, he took his perpetual vows. This is the act of committing a monk to the order and his chosen way of life until death. In 2020, he began his theology studies at the Pontifical John Paul II University in Krakow, and in early July 2025, he defended his master's thesis on "The Spirituality of the Blessed Family of Ulm," dedicated to a Catholic family murdered by the Nazis during the occupation of Poland during World War II for aiding Jews.

A pro-government video showed Grzegorz holding eight A4-sized printouts. It was claimed to be a photocopy of a classified document titled "Order on the Organization of Preparations for and Participation in the Zapad-2025 Special Purpose Transport (SSU)." Propagandists claimed the detainee was suspected of espionage.

On April 28, 2026, Grzegorz was released following lengthy negotiations and an exchange for Belarusian spies in Poland. He was immediately transported to Poland.