Tomasz Szmydt creating Prawda Polska Foundation in Belarus

A press conference and a presentation of the Prawda Polska Foundation are taking place in Minsk today. Tomasz Szmydt, a Polish ex-judge who applied for political asylum in Belarus in May 2024, became the head and creator of the newly created fund.

At that time, Mr. Szmydt explained his decision by disagreeing with the Polish current policy, harassment and threats for an independent political position.

According to Mr. Szmydt, the Prawda Polska Foundation sees as its goals the strengthening of friendship, mutual understanding and harmony between citizens of the EU, Belarus and Russia, as well as assistance in protecting those citizens whose rights are violated on the EU territory.

The Prawda Polska Foundation will strive to establish and maintain friendly relations with progressive foreign NGOs and individual citizens, as well as to help overcome social disunity and national strife between the EU states, Belarus and Russia. Representatives of the fund aim to take part in information events, help Belarusian and Russian citizens in obtaining advisory and legal assistance on Polish legislation, as well as provide aid to persons persecuted for political views and beliefs in the EU.

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After holding a press conference in Minsk in May 2024, at which Tomasz Szmydt asked for political asylum in Belarus, a criminal case was opened against him in Poland. The attempt by the Polish side to declare Tomasz Szmydt wanted by Interpol failed: the organisation refused to put him on the wanted list.

In June 2024, Tomasz Szmydt sent a statement to the Public Prosecutor General and the National Public Prosecutor of Poland with a request to open a criminal case against the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

In Poland, Tomasz Szmydt worked as a judge of the 2nd division of the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw. Previously, he held various positions in Poland’s judicial system and justice authorities. He also headed the Legal Department at the National Council of Judges of Poland.