TALLINN, Estonia (AP) The government of Belarus has detained a Polish monk named Grzegorz Gawel, 27, on espionage charges amid ongoing tensions with Poland, a NATO member. The arrest took place in the town of Lepel, located northwest of the Belarusian capital. Authorities allege that Gawel attempted to obtain sensitive military documents related to joint military exercises between Belarus and Russia. If convicted, he faces a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years.
Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, has been under the strict control of President Alexander Lukashenko for over three decades. The country has become a strategic partner for Russia, allowing its troops to be stationed there during the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and has hosted some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons. The recent arrest of Gawel signifies a new development in the already fraught relations between Belarus and Poland.
State television in Belarus aired footage purportedly showing Gawel’s arrest, highlighting him allegedly handing over a classified document to uniformed officers. The document reportedly pertains to upcoming Russian-Belarusian military exercises scheduled to commence next Friday. In the video, Belarusian security officials can be seen forcefully apprehending Gawel and confiscating cash, as well as a SIM card linked to a different identity. Furthermore, a local Belarusian citizen was also detained, accused of being approached by Gawel on social media for recruitment purposes, allegedly with offers of money and gifts.
The Polish Carmelite order confirmed that Gawel is one of its monks and reiterated his religious affiliation amidst the espionage allegations. During his arrest, reports indicated that Belarusian authorities discovered a rosary and various religious items on him. Poland’s special services spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzynski, condemned Gawel’s detention, calling it “another provocation” from Lukashenko's government, and emphasized that Polish intelligence does not engage monks for military intelligence activities.
Relations between Belarus and Poland have been severely strained over the years, primarily due to Lukashenko's support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as his government’s brutal suppression of dissent, which has included targeting clergy who have protested against his regime. In a related case, Poland has persistently worked, though unsuccessfully, for the release of Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist associated with a leading Polish newspaper who has been imprisoned for five years of an eight-year sentence on allegations that his actions endangered Belarus's national security.
The imminent military drills, termed "Zapad" (meaning "West"), are expected to involve over 13,000 troops from both Belarus and Russia. Because of Belarus's proximity to NATO members Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania, the exercises are particularly concerning to Western nations and closely monitored. The drills will reportedly involve the planned use of Russian nuclear weapons alongside the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which was first launched in December.
The Belarusian Defense Ministry has stated that they anticipate receiving deliveries of the Oreshnik missile, an intermediate-range ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear warheads capable of reaching any target in Europe. Following Gawel’s arrest, Belarus summoned the Polish chargé d’affaires, demanding that Poland avoid actions perceived to be detrimental to Belarus’s national security.
