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Polish judge sought on espionage charges after seeking asylum in Belarus

16.05.2024 16:00
A Polish judge with access to military secrets and currently in Belarus, is now on a wanted list and faces potential international arrest on charges of espionage, according to statements from the Polish national prosecutors' office on Thursday.
Tomasz Szmydt.
Tomasz Szmydt.Photo: PAP/Rafał Guz

Judge Tomasz Szmydt, who earlier this month applied for asylum in Belarus, has been branded a traitor by Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk and is under investigation for possibly compromising Poland's security, media reported.

Polish Radio’s IAR news agency quoted the spokesman for the National Prosecutor's Office, Przemysław Nowak, as saying that while Belarus— a close ally of Moscow—may not honor the international arrest warrant, the designation will significantly limit the judge's ability to travel internationally.

Before the defection, Szmydt has already been a controversial figure in Poland, particularly noted for his involvement in a 2019 online smear campaign against fellow judges, an initiative reportedly sponsored by the Justice Ministry under the nation's previous, conservative ruling party Law and Justice.

(jh)

Source: IAR