Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk greeted him at the Polish-Belarusian border, writing on X: "Welcome home, my friend."
Tusk said Poczobut's first question upon being freed was whether he would be able to return to Belarus.
"Only you decide. You are already a free man," Tusk said he replied, describing Poczobut as "unbowed."
Longtime Polish media correspondent
Poczobut worked for years as a correspondent for Polish media, reporting on developments in Belarus.
He was also an activist with the Union of Poles in Belarus.
His critical coverage of President Alexander Lukashenko had previously led to arrests and court appearances, but his detention on March 25, 2021 proved to be the longest and most severe.
Belarusian authorities accused him of "rehabilitating Nazism" – charges stemming from his journalistic work and activities promoting Polish identity and culture.
In February 2023, he was sentenced to eight years in a strict-regime penal colony.
His appeal was rejected by Belarus' Supreme Court.
Human rights organisations classified him as a political prisoner, and Polish authorities consistently demanded his release and the dropping of what they described as politically motivated charges.
Released after 1,860 days
Poczobut was freed after 1,860 days in detention as part of a prisoner exchange at the Polish-Belarusian border.
Tusk described it as "the conclusion of a two-year, complex diplomatic game, full of dramatic turns," made possible by the work of Polish intelligence services, diplomats and prosecutors, as well as assistance from American, Romanian and Moldovan partners.
The US special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, announced on X that he had "helped secure the release of three Polish and two Moldovan nationals."
He credited the outcome to President Donald Trump's leadership, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Christopher W. Smith, and the State Department, and thanked Poland, Moldova and Romania for what he called "invaluable support."
He also thanked Lukashenko for his "willingness to continue constructive relations with the United States."
Earlier, several groups of Belarusian political prisoners had been freed with American diplomatic involvement, but Poczobut was not among them at the time.
'Not possible without President Trump'
Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told a press conference that the release would not have been possible without Trump's decision, and specifically credited Coale and the US State Department.
He thanked Polish intelligence services, the justice ministry, prosecutors and foreign ministry staff for coordinating with American and other allied institutions to bring the exchange about.
Sikorski described Poczobut as "a symbol of resistance in Belarus" who had been imprisoned solely for telling the truth, and said he was currently "hungry and exhausted" after five years in a harsh prison.
He expressed cautious hope that the release might open a new chapter in Polish-Belarusian relations, but was careful not to make firm promises, noting there had been previous "false dawns" and past episodes of thaw during which Belarus had held no political prisoners.
Any initiative, he said, would have to come from Minsk.
Sikorski also recalled that Poland had been forced to build border fortifications because of the migrant-smuggling operations run by the Lukashenko government.
He added: "We are always ready to respond to positive gestures, but Belarus must first want to become part of the European family of nations."
Poland's highest honour awaits
Meanwhile, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, speaking from Dubrovnik, Croatia, said Poczobut had "proved how strong the attachment to Polish values can be" and that he had "paid a high price" under the Lukashenko regime.
He invited Poczobut to the presidential palace in Warsaw to receive the Order of the White Eagle, Poland previously awarded to him.
Nawrocki said the release process had effectively begun in September last year, when, shortly after being sworn in, he had personally asked Trump "not to forget" the Polish citizen.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called Poczobut's release "a great day for all of us," describing Poczobut as "a Polish-Belarusian hero, a talented and steadfast journalist who never betrayed his principles."
She said she had carried his photograph in her briefcase to every meeting and forum since her own husband's release, and thanked Poland, the United States and the European Union for their pressure and solidarity.
She added, however, that around 900 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus.
(ał/gs)
Source: PAP