A case of espionage was opened in Poland against a judge who fled to Minsk

The Polish prosecutor’s office opened a case of espionage against the judge of the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw, Tomasz Schmidt, who asked for political asylum in the Republic of Belarus. Schmidt faces eight years to life in prison.

A representative of the Polish prosecutor’s office also said that the investigation intends to establish the circumstances of the judge’s possible connection with foreign intelligence services and assess the amount of information transferred to him.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk asked The country’s Ministry of Justice will deprive Schmidt of judicial immunity as soon as possible.

On May 6, Schmidt gave a press conference in Minsk and stated that he left Poland due to pressure from the authorities.

Schmidt previously served as director of legal affairs at the National Council of Justice. He lost his position after a judicial scandal in 2019. Then his wife was exposed as a person publishing incriminating evidence on the Internet about judges who oppose the judicial reform arranged by the ruling party.

The scandal led to the resignation of the Deputy Minister of Justice and several judges, and Schmidt was temporarily suspended from office. At the time he denied any involvement in the persecution campaign. In 2022 he admittedthat he took part in it, but declared his repentance.