Poland puts judge who defected to Belarus on wanted list, opening way to international warrant

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s prosecutors say they have put a controversial judge who fled to autocratic Belarus on a wanted list, a step toward entering him on an international arrest warrant on espionege allegations. A spokesperson for the national prosecutor’s office said Thursday the search for judge Tomasz Szmydt had been launched. Even if Belarus does not heed the international warrant, it will restrict Szmydt’s ability to travel internationally. Poland’s services are working to determine how harmful Szmydt’s knowledge of any classified information might be. Independent media in Belarus say he has been posting photos from an upscale district of the capital, Minsk, suggesting he might have been accommodated there.