Andrzej Poczobut ( Andrej (Andžej) Pačobut, born 16 April 1973 in Vyalikaya Byerastavitsa) is a Belarusian and Polish journalist and activist of the Polish minority in Belarus. He lives in Hrodna, Belarus. A correspondent for the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Poczobut has been arrested more than a dozen times by the government of Belarus. In 2011, he was sentenced to a fine and fifteen days in prison for "participation in the unsanctioned protest rally" following the 2010 presidential election. In 2011 and 2012, he was arrested and detained for allegedly libeling President Alexander Lukashenko in his reports. The charges against Poczobut received international condemnation, with groups including the European Parliament, Reporters Without Borders, and Amnesty International issuing statements in his support. He has been arrested again in 2021 and remains in prison as of 2022. He has been described as a political prisoner. Background He worked as a journalist for several Belarusian media - Den', Narodnaja Volia, Głos znad Niemna and Magazyn Polski. He also works as a correspondent for the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. He is one of the leaders of the Union of Poles in Belarus. Protest arrest On 19 December 2010, Belarus held a disputed presidential election in which President Alexander Lukashenko was elected to a fourth term, which resulted in widespread opposition protests. On 12 January 2011, the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (KGB) arrested Poczobut for "participation in the unsanctioned protest rally". He was fined 1.75 million Belarusian rubles (US$580) the following day. The KGB also raided his house and confiscated his computer and documents. Andrzej argued that he was acting as a journalist during the rally. On 11 February, he was tried a second time for the same charge, and given a sentence of fifteen days in prison. Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament, demanded his release. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists also protested on his behalf, stating that the organization was "outraged that Andrzej Poczobut was not only convicted on a trumped-up charge but that he has now been given jail time after already receiving a sentence of a fine". In March 2011 the Belarusian government told him that if he did not stop reporting on the administration of Alexander Lukashenko, he would be prosecuted. His accreditation from the Belarus Ministry of Foreign Affairs was revoked. He argued that his work is protected by his constitutional rights. 2011–2012