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Poland investigates disappearance of Belarusian activist

17.04.2025 13:40
Polish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the disappearance of Belarusian opposition figure Anzhalika Melnikaŭa, who vanished in late March after years of political activity in exile.
Anżelika Mielnikawa
Anżelika MielnikawaDawid Wolski/East News

Authorities in southeastern Poland are probing possible unlawful detention and suspected foreign intelligence involvement following the disappearance of Melnikaŭa, according to the Rzeczpospolita daily.

Although her family did not file a missing person report, fellow activist Pavel Latushka, a prominent opponent of Lukashenko's regime, has claimed that her phone has been traced to Belarus since March 19.

As reported by Rzeczpospolita, a few days before her disappearance, Melnikaŭa’s ex-husband - a software developer working for a UK-based tech company in Poland - left the country and returned to Belarus. The couple had two daughters, aged 6 and 12.

Melnikaŭa had led the Belarus Liberty Foundation in Poland since 2022, supported cyber activists targeting the Minsk regime, and recently appeared in the Polish parliament and at a foreign affairs forum in Gdańsk.

While associates insist she held no sensitive data, she did have access to the personal details of numerous opposition members. Her sudden disappearance has raised serious concerns among activists - and questions about security failures in Poland.

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Source: IAR/PAP/Rzeczpospolita/X/@rzeczpospolita