MOSCOW, May 7. /TASS/. Tomasz Szmydt, judge for the Voivodeship Administrative Court of Warsaw, who has fled to Belarus, had been under surveillance for several months by Polish special services on suspicion of spying, the Onet portal reported, citing unnamed sources in the country’s special services and government.
According to the sources, the Internal Security Agency has been keeping tabs on Szmydt for several months. Apart from that, Poland’s counterintelligence was collecting evidence to make a case against him for spying for a foreign state. The sources claim that Szmydt has been in contact with Belarusian and Russian intelligence services for years.
Meanwhile, the fugitive judge told Russia’s Soloviev Live television channel that when he was still in Poland he felt his life was at risk as Polish authorities disapproved of his verdicts.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said however that the judge, who had access to classified documents, has a long-standing relationship with Belarusian special services. On Monday, Polish security services began a probe to identify secret data the fugitive judge had access to. Another probe into his spying activities was launched by the prosecutor’s office.
On May 6, Szmydt told a news conference in Minsk that he is seeking political asylum in Belarus as he opposes the Polish government’s policy. He also asked Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to ensure his protection because he cannot return to Poland due to security reasons.
In an interview with TASS, Szmydt said that he hopes that Lukashenko’s protection will guarantee the safety of his family against threats from Polish authorities.
"I have an ex-wife - we divorced long ago - and two daughters in Poland. I am sure that once I can enjoy President Lukashenko’s protection, it will cover my family too. No one will dare to touch them," he said.
When asked whether he would like his family to join him in Minsk, he noted that "it would be very difficult."
Szmydt held various positions in Poland’s judicial system. He headed the legal department of the National Council of the Judiciary. He claims to have been persecuted and forced to flee the country because of his disagreement with the policy of the Polish authorities, who, in his words, are leading Poland towards war under the influence of the United States and the United Kingdom.