Poland Releases Belarusian Investigator Detained On Minsk's Request

Andrey Pyzhyk in Warsaw

Polish authorities have released from custody an exiled former Belarusian crime investigator who was detained earlier this week on an extradition request from the Belarusian regime.

Warsaw prosecutor Ryszard Rogatko said June 7 that after studying documents provided by Belarus, Polish authorities have decided against extraditing Andrey Pyzhyk.

Pyzhyk, a critic of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime, is reportedly wanted in Belarus for alleged financial misdeeds and forcing suspects to give false testimony.

Pyzhyk has said he suspects the extradition request could be politically motivated because of his participation in a television documentary about last year's Minsk metro bombing, in which he raised doubts about the investigation of the attack that killed 15 people.

He has been living in self-imposed exile in Poland since 2007.
Based on reporting by Polskie Radio and profi-forex.org