The declaration was made outside the Polish embassy in Minsk, according to reports from the Russian state media agency TASS.
"If there is such a legal possibility, I want to be both a citizen of Poland and Belarus," Szmydt stated, stirring significant political debate, particularly after he was charged with espionage by Polish authorities.
Szmydt, previously serving in the Second Department of the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw, claims he has been unfairly targeted for his media interactions. "My fault was only that I resigned, I had every right to do so. And also on the fact that I started talking to the press. These were the Belarusian and Russian media. In the understanding of the Polish government, this is espionage," Szmydt explained to TASS.
During his appearance in front of the embassy, Szmydt attempted to submit documents to Polish officials, which he said were statements addressed to the justice ministry, the prosecutor general, and a letter to the human rights ombudsman. "I wanted to give statements to the consul... it turned out, however, that the consul cannot accept these documents, cannot talk to me," Szmydt said.
The judge, commonly referred to in Belarusian and Russian propaganda as a "dissident," added that he plans to "fight for my rights at the national and international level."
Polish Foreign Ministry has responded to the incident, stating on X: "Today in the morning hours, in front of the embassy building in Minsk, Tomasz Szmydt, surrounded by regime Belarusian journalists and servicemen, attempted to reprimand the Polish diplomatic representative. Our representative did not respond to the taunts," Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wroński wrote on Friday.
On Thursday, Poland put Szmydt on a wanted list and is facing potential international arrest on charges of espionage. The judge, who during his tenure as a judge has had access to military secrets, has been branded a traitor by Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk and is under investigation for possibly compromising Poland's security.
(jh)
Source: IAR, PAP