MINSK, 17 December (BelTA) - A Polish military has asked for political asylum in Belarus, BelTA learned from the State Border Committee of Belarus.
“A soldier of the Polish Armed Forces Emil Ciecko, born 1996, was stopped by a Belarusian border guard unit in the no-go zone at the Tushemlya border outpost of the Grodno border group at 17.50 on 16 December. The man said that he is a soldier of the 11th Masurian Artillery Regiment of the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division named after King Casimir, the units of which were redeployed to ensure the protection of the border with Belarus during the state of emergency imposed in the frontier areas of Poland," the State Border Committee said.
The soldier said he decided to seek political asylum in Belarus as he opposes Poland's handling of the migrant crisis and the inhumane treatment of refugees, the State Border Committee added.