MINSK, November 22. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has decreed to grant asylum in the republic to former Polish judge Tomasz Schmidt, persecuted on political grounds in his homeland, the Belarusian leader's press service reported.

"The President has granted asylum in Belarus to Tomasz Schmidt, persecuted for political reasons in Poland," the text reads.

The head of state also approved citizenship applications from foreign nationals and stateless persons residing in the country. A total of 257 individuals became Belarusian citizens, originating from Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Palestine, Russia, Syria, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

Schmidt previously held various positions within Poland's judiciary and also served as the head of the legal department at the National Council of the Judiciary. Due to his opposition to the policies and actions of the Polish authorities, which he believed were leading the country to war under the influence of the US and UK, he faced persecution and was ultimately forced to leave his homeland.

This May, Schmidt asked for political asylum in Belarus because of his disagreement with the policies of the Polish authorities, which he announced at a press conference in Minsk. Later, it was reported that the Polish authorities stripped him of his status as a judge and launched an investigation into the circumstances that prompted him to leave the country.