BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

07/04/2006

Former Polish ambassador freed in Belarus

Poland's former ambassador to Belarus has been released from hospital in Minsk and freed. It had been expected that he would be transferred to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.

47 year-old Mariusz Maszkiewicz, who served as Poland's ambassador to Minsk from 1998 to 2002, was sentenced to 15 days in jail for taking part in an illegal rally in protest against President Lukashenko's re-election.

The Polish Foreign Ministry said that Mariusz Maszkiewicz had been beaten up twice by Belarussian security forces and was under intense physical and mental pressure.

Two days ago, the Polish prime minister appealed to president Lukashenko for an immediate release of the former diplomat.

Source:

http://www.polskieradio.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=35145&j=2

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