Polish judge applied for political asylum in Belarus

Tomasz Szmydt, a judge of the 2nd division of the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw, who previously held various positions in Poland’s judicial system and justice authorities and headed the legal department at the Polish National Judicial Council, applied to Belarusian authorities for political asylum

Due to disagreement with the policies and actions of the Polish authorities, he was forced to leave his native country and is currently staying in Belarus. He was persecuted and threatened for his independent political position.

Tomasz Szmydt expresses his protest to the Polish authorities who – under the influence of the US and UK – are dragging the country into the war. The people of Poland stand for peace and good neighbourly relations with Belarus and Russia. That’s why Tomasz Szmydt is currently in Minsk and decided to tell the truth at a press conference, held at the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA).

“Thanks to BelTA, thanks to the fact that I’m here, I can speak freely, which I cannot do in Poland. Our politicians should think very seriously and restore dialogue with President Lukashenko and with Russia. We’re meeting in Minsk because on my part it is an expression of respect for President Lukashenko for maintaining peace and tranquillity,” he noted.

Tomasz Szmydt read out to Belarusian journalists his statement to the leadership of the Polish judicial system and President Duda, “I submit my resignation from the position of judge of the Warsaw Voivodeship Administrative Court. Resignation from the position of judge is my expression of protest against the unfair policy pursued by the Polish authorities towards the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation. This act is also my expression of protest against actions that are aimed at involving my country in a direct armed conflict with the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation. This is also a call to the Polish authorities to normalise and regulate Poland’s good neighbourly relations with Belarus and Russia.”

Speaking about official Warsaw, the Polish judge expressed conviction that ‘our politicians should think very seriously and restore dialogue with President Lukashenko and with Russia.’

At the same time, Tomasz Szmydt drew attention to the fact that the West failed to destroy Belarus, “At first they tried to organise ‘Maidan’ here, but it didn’t work out. They tried to destroy Belarus from the economic side through various kinds of sanctions and failed again. Belarus has enormous potential for the future.”