Although he did not provide further details, Poland’s foreign minister has assured that the charges against the Basque journalist, who has been detained for more than a year, are “very serious”.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau has stated that he hopes the Basque journalist Pablo Gonzalez, who has been in pre-trial detention in Poland for more than a year, “will be brought to justice relatively quickly”. In addition, he has indicated that the charges he faces are “very serious” and that both Spain and Poland hope “this case will be concluded”.
This is stated after signing a three-way statement in Valencia with his counterparts from Spain and Romania, José Manuel Albares and Bogdan Aurescu, who was asked about the situation of this communicator who was arrested in Poland in February 2022 after being accused of espionage while he was covered was the refugee crisis caused by the invasion of Ukraine.
The Polish minister explained that the case is still under investigation and that “the public prosecutor’s office (of his country) has obtained a court order to continue this arrest”. “We hope he will stand trial relatively soon,” he added after noting that the cases he faces are “serious, very serious”.
He has stated that “the indictment and the allegations are being prepared and the fairer the trial will be if they are prepared.” “Believe me, it is in our interest, that of the governments of Spain and Poland, that we ensure that this case is closed and completed. But it does require that the prosecutor is well prepared,” he stressed.
Zbigniew Rau has guaranteed that Albares will “take every opportunity” in which they meet to talk to him about the case and that the journalist “enjoys all Poland’s constitutional rights, including the right to defence”, as he has stressed that “there are no precedents” in the lawyer visits he has received in recent months among foreign detainees in Poland.
Albares, for his part, has agreed that he regularly discusses this matter with his Polish counterpart and that the allegations against Pablo González are “serious” and “very serious”.
Having said this, he has stressed that he has “always” verified that his rights are respected, as he has stressed that he has Spanish and Polish lawyers and that he receives visits from consulate officials.
“His fundamental rights, especially those of defence, are fully guaranteed,” the Spanish minister added, emphasizing that the journalist “has no obstacle from the Polish authorities to receive visitors”.
Source: EITB
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
