Br. Grzegorz Gaweł released by Belarus in prisoner exchange with Poland
Updated
Updated · The Pillar · Apr 28
Br. Grzegorz Gaweł released by Belarus in prisoner exchange with Poland
10 articles · Updated · The Pillar · Apr 28
Gaweł, a 27-year-old Polish Carmelite friar arrested for espionage in September 2025, was freed alongside four others at the Poland-Belarus border on April 28.
The exchange included three Poles and two Moldovans for five Belarusian, Russian, and CIS citizens held in EU countries, with U.S. mediation credited for enabling the deal.
Gaweł’s arrest strained Poland-Belarus relations, highlighting ongoing tensions and the use of detentions for political leverage; nearly 300,000 ethnic Poles reside in Belarus amid deep cultural ties.
With seven prisoners freed, what fate awaits the 800+ still jailed in Belarus?
Is this prisoner swap a true pivot to the West for Belarus?
What does the U.S. gain by brokering this controversial Poland-Belarus deal?
After five years in a labor camp, can journalist Andrzej Poczobut ever truly recover?
Was the Polish friar a spy or a pawn in a larger political game?
Why are Catholic bishops silent on the release of a friar accused of espionage?