This is not an isolated incident." Rumak on detention of Polish spy in Lepel

The Belarusian KGB detained a Polish citizen in Lepel on suspicion of espionage. The man, born in 1998, was apprehended directly while receiving a photocopy of a classified document. The document pertained to the Russian-Belarusian exercises "Zapad-2025."

It has been established that Grzegorz Gawel, through social media, recruited a Belarusian citizen to gather confidential military information. The collected data was then transmitted to the Polish Internal Security Agency. In exchange for this work, the Polish individual paid the Belarusian a monetary reward. A criminal case has been initiated under the article concerning espionage.

However, instead of requesting additional information or expressing a willingness to cooperate regarding this incident, Poland chose a confrontational rhetoric.

Statements by Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski, claiming that "Warsaw knows what the regime in Minsk is," and that "this matter will not go unanswered," appear to be attempts at politicizing what is an obvious criminal act. Espionage violates the laws of any country as well as international law, and the response should be proportionate and legally grounded, not motivated by politics.

The statement by Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for Poland’s intelligence services, that "Polish intelligence agencies do not use monks for information gathering," seems frankly biased, especially considering numerous instances when Polish clergy have been involved in espionage against Belarus.

Alexander Rumak, Commissioner for Religious and Nationalities Affairs, commented:

"Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case where Catholic clergymen have been involved in activities directed against the Republic of Belarus. Similar cases occurred in 2013, and in 2022, a Catholic priest in Volozhin, Gennady Okolotovich, was detained and convicted of treason. It is deeply regrettable that members of the clergy are being drawn into unlawful activities. The Catholic Church remains the second-largest denomination in our society. We have approached the Holy See with a proposal to convey objective information about this case to the Vatican’s leadership, so they understand the true nature of the matter and to counter any misconceptions that the Polish side might attempt to impose."

Currently, Grzegorz Gawel is in custody. It is important to recognize that incidents like these always carry a tragic human element. It would be more constructive if the Polish authorities adopted a more pragmatic approach rather than resorting to immediate denial of the evident facts.