Poland has handed over former Belarusian political prisoner Natalia Podlevskaya to Lithuania.
The movement of Natalia Podlevskaya, a former Belarusian political detainee, to Lithuania by Polish border officials on October 23, was a challenging process for her.
At one point, hospitalization was required, but this didn’t impede the transfer, according to MOST, quoting Anna Matievskaya, leader of the “Partyzanka” initiative.
The border authority opted to move the woman to the Lithuanian frontier after the Polish Office for Foreigners twice declined to entertain her request for international protection. The bureau reasoned that Lithuania held responsibility, given Podlewska’s entry into the EU using a Lithuanian visa. Natalia sought to challenge the determination in the courts, citing her strong connections to Poland—close relations with Polish nationality and residency permits reside there. A court date was set for October 24. Still, without awaiting the date, border guards proceeded to escort the former political detainee to the Lithuanian boundary without prior notification (typically seven days) or time to prepare.
Podlewska was moved from Wroclaw to Poznan, then to Warsaw and subsequently to the Polish-Lithuanian borderline. According to Anna Matievska, Podlewska became sick on the journey and was admitted to the hospital in Poznan with elevated blood pressure, reaching 200. Nevertheless, border guards did not permit her stay, rushing to implement the extradition decree—scheduled for 12:00 PM on October 23.
The woman was transported with restraints in a holding area and temporarily held in a space shared by two males. After conversing with the woman, a lawyer implies the border guards' urgency may have stemmed from a motivation to promptly execute the deportation order of the men.
The elderly woman possessed only a rucksack and lacked personal care products. She was denied phone use during the procedure, leading to human rights activists losing contact with her for a period.
“Natalia is now situated in Lithuania, within a detention facility for non-nationals, experiencing substantial physical and emotional distress,” reported Partyzanka.
