Belarus arrests Polish priest on spying charges

Relations betwixt Poland and Belarus person deed a caller debased amid Russia’s penetration of Ukraine.

Warsaw has reacted angrily aft Belarus arrested a Polish clergyman connected suspicion of espionage.

Belarusian authorities media reported connected Friday that agents from the authorities information work had detained the antheral and recovered documents connected him related to associated subject exercises planned by Belarus and its ally, Russia. Poland has called the determination a provocation and promised a “response”.

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The priest, identified arsenic Grzegorz Gawel, was arrested the erstwhile time successful the metropolis of Lepel, eastbound of the capital, Minsk. A Belarusian nationalist was besides detained.

State quality bureau Belta reported that the Polish fishy possessed a transcript of a papers concerning the Zapad 25 exercises owed to instrumentality spot this month. He besides had Belarusian and overseas currency and a portable telephone SIM paper registered to idiosyncratic else.

The Zapad exercises, held each 2 years successful either Belarus oregon Russia, are viewed with involvement by Western countries due to the fact that of Belarus’s proximity to 3 neighbours that are portion of the NATO confederation – Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

“There is irrefutable grounds of the Polish citizen’s espionage activities,” Belta, the Belarusian authorities quality agency, said. “A fewer minutes earlier his arrest, helium received a concealed subject document. All of this was captured connected video.”

Belta added that helium had been trying to enlistee the Belarusian nationalist successful his institution and offered him wealth and tiny gifts.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters connected Friday that Warsaw “will [not] judge specified provocations oregon the nonsense spouted by the Belarusian side”.

“I americium not yet definite astir the quality of our Jesuit’s sojourn [to Belarus], but according to my information, helium went determination to spot a person oregon acquaintance,” Tusk said.

A spokesperson wrote connected X that the Polish information services “do not employment clergymen to stitchery accusation connected subject exercises”.

Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki said that the apprehension was astir apt related to the upcoming subject exercises. He pledged a absorption but did not supply details.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine successful 2022, relations betwixt Poland, 1 of Kyiv’s main supporters successful the European Union, and neighbouring Belarus, a Moscow ally, person sunk to a caller low.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is 1 of Kremlin person Vladimir Putin’s closest allies and has allowed Moscow to usage his country’s territory for the 2022 penetration of Ukraine, though helium has said Belarusian servicemen volition instrumentality nary portion successful it.

Russia has besides moved tactical atomic weapons from its ain borders into Belarus.

Poland accuses Belarus of arranging for a question of asylum seekers from 3rd countries to transverse the borderline into Poland, successful a bid to destabilise the EU.