Following 1,860 days in Belarusian captivity, journalist Andrzej Poczobut has addressed his health struggles and received the prestigious Order of the White Eagle from President Karol Nawrocki.
Health Struggles and the Price of Freedom
In a post on X on May 7, Andrzej Poczobut shared an update on his health, noting that while he is adapting to freedom, the transition is difficult. He described experiencing sudden nightmares, stating, “demons have suddenly attacked me.”
Receiving the Order of the White Eagle
On May 3, President Karol Nawrocki presented Poczobut with the Order of the White Eagle. During his speech, the journalist expressed humility, stating that he does not consider himself a hero compared to the soldiers of the Home Army.
Poczobut emphasized that while Home Army soldiers defended the country’s independence until their last breath, he views himself as an ordinary man attempting to act decently during indecent times.
Presidential Recognition of a Steadfast Man
President Karol Nawrocki described Poczobut as a hero and a steadfast man who was willing to go to prison to defend historical truth and human rights against the Lukashenko regime.
Nawrocki, a former president of the Institute of National Remembrance, added that Poczobut returned from the Belarusian prison system as a victor, showing that suffering can build national strength.
Imprisonment in Belarus
Poczobut, a long-time collaborator with Polish media, was detained by Belarusian authorities in March 2021 on charges of “rehabilitating Nazism.”
Following a 2023 court sentence to eight years in a strict-regime penal colony, he spent a total of 1,860 days in Belarusian prisons and labor camps.
