libel charges Poczobut was arrested again on 6 April 2011, this time on libel charges. The charges stemmed from ten reports about the president Poczobut had published on his blog, in Gazeta Wyborcza, and on the website Belaruspartisan.org. The Union of Poles in Belarus campaigned on Poczobut's behalf, calling for his release. Another Polish journalist, Ihar Bantsar, was sentenced to five days in prison for covering the trial. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), reporters for Reuters and the Associated Press were assaulted by plainclothes police officers when attempting to photograph Poczobut entering the courthouse. On 5 July 2011, he was found guilty and given a suspended three-year prison sentence. Poczobut attributed the suspension of his sentence to international pressure, including a statement on his behalf by the EU. Amnesty International also denounced Poczobut's prosecution and named him a prisoner of conscience. RSF called for his conviction to be overturned, calling him "a -watched victim of President Lukashenko's persecution of journalists". Poczobut appealed the verdict, but lost the appeal on 20 September. In November 2011, the Polish radio station Radio ZET awarded him its Andrzej Wojciechowski prize for his journalism. Because Poczobut was forbidden to leave Belarus, his wife accepted the award on his behalf. On 21 June 2012, he was arrested in Grodno on another charge of libel against the president, this time for a story criticizing the government's handling of the 2011 Minsk Metro bombing for the independent news site Charter 97. The charge carried a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment. Poczobut was released on bail after a week in detention, but was told a trial against him would still be forthcoming. The European Parliament adopted a resolution urging that the charges against Pozcobut be dropped. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk summoned the Belarusian ambassador to object to the libel case, and stated that he also had the backing of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. RSF again protested the charges, describing Poczobut as "hounded because of his determination to work as an independent reporter", and Amnesty International called for the charges to be dropped. PEN American Center also appealed on his behalf, urging the Belarusian government "to drop all charges against Pozcobut immediately, and to uphold their obligations to protect freedom of expression for all citizens as guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." 2021 extremism charges As a part