Andrzej Poczobut. Photo: PAP
After a hearing lasting several hours on Thursday morning, the court adjourned the case until tomorrow, when prosecutors and the defendant are to make their final statements in the case.
It is not known whether a final verdict will be passed down by the court on Friday, however. If found guilty, Poczobut, a correspondent of the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, could find himself landing behind bars for at least four years.
Behind closed doors
While the trial was going on behind closed doors, several dozen members of the Union of Poles in Belarus came to the court buildings in Grodno to demonstrate and show solidarity with Poczobut.
Earlier, the Polish Consul General in Grodno, Andrzej Chodkiewicz had asked permission to sit in on the proceedings along with one member of the Union of Poles in Belarus.
“A militiaman explained that the case is closed for observers,” Chodkiewicz stated, adding that a letter he had previously sent to authorities in the matter had not been answered. “[The Belarusian authorities] did not even tell us that the case is closed to the public,” he lamented.
‘This could end badly’
Meanwhile, head of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Angelika Orechwo told the PAP news agency that “the accusations are groundless and the court does not want people and journalists to see what is going on [there].”
“We can’t expect this to end well for Andrzej,” she added.
Poczobut’s father, Stanislaw, is also not very optimistic. Talking to journalists, he said that he expects a “maximum” sentence. “Maybe slightly less…”
While Poczobut’s fate hangs in the balance, a number of international organisations have condemned the Belarusian authorities for the handling of the case.
The European Union, OSCE, Polish authorities and members of the opposition in Belarus have spoken in defence of the journalist. Amnesty International, a human rights organisation, has also deemed Poczobut a prisoner of conscience. (jb)