Poland detains two men suspected of spying for Belarus

WARSAW, July 2 - Polish security services have detained a Belarusian citizen and a Polish citizen suspected of spying on Belarusian exiles on behalf of the Belarusian intelligence services, a spokesperson for Polish security services said on Thursday.

"Men paid by Belarusian intelligence participated in events organized in Warsaw by the Belarusian minority, where they recorded and photographed participants," the spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzynski, wrote on X.

"The collected materials – passed across the eastern border – were used by (President Alexander) Lukashenko's services and regime propaganda."

The two arrests were part of an ongoing case in which three Belarusians and two Ukrainians were already detained last November.

A court ordered the 19-year-old Belarusian citizen to be held for three months, while the Polish citizen, 44, was barred from leaving the country and placed under police supervision.

The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Poland has repeatedly accused Belarus and its ally Russia of conducting espionage and influence operations on its territory, which the two countries deny.

A large number of Belarusian dissidents have sought shelter in Poland, particularly since a crackdown on the opposition after mass demonstrations followed a disputed election in 2020.

Poland's ABW Internal Security Agency said in a statement that foreign intelligence agencies aimed not only to gather information but also to exert pressure, intimidate minority groups and amplify propaganda messages of hostile countries. REUTERS