Poland extends the detention of Spanish journalist Pablo González, in prison since February

The regional court of Przemyśl, in southeastern Poland, has decided to prolong the detention of the Spanish journalist for another three months. Pablo Gonzalez, arrested on February 28.

“The court decided to extend Pablo González’s detention,” the journalist’s lawyer in Poland confirmed to EFE. Bartosz Rogala, who added that the court agreed with the Prosecutor’s Office in most of the premises to keep the Spaniard detained.

Last week the Prosecutor’s Office had justified its request in “a well-founded concern for procedural fraud, fear of concealment or escape and the fact that González is at risk of a high sentence if convicted”. Rogała confirmed that will appeal the decision before the Court of Appeal.

[Visitas del CNI, dinero ruso… Los días de cárcel de Pablo González en Polonia]

russian spy

The journalist, who worked for several media outlets and who also has Russian nationality, was arrested by the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW), which accuses González of work for Russian military intelligence (GRU).

In Przemyśl, a town on the Polish-Ukrainian border, González was covering the exodus of Ukrainian refugees to Poland during the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

[El mensaje de la mujer de Pablo González: pide ayuda a Sánchez]

He was initially detained for three months, a period that it was prolonged in early June for another three months. González’s defense appealed the decision, without a positive result.

Arbitrary detention”

At the end of July, González’s partner, Oihana Goireena, and his lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, presented a request to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) so that investigate the “arbitrary” detention of the journalist.

According to Boye, the Polish authorities arrested González solely for the fact that the journalist has Spanish and Russian dual nationality.

In recent days, Goiriena indicated that the means of contact with González continue to be limited to writing letters, although the journalist’s partner receives them with a delay of a couple of months.

González’s arrest caused the protests of many personalities and organizations.

In June, the Association for Human Rights of Spain (APDHE) urged the Spanish government and the organizations of the European Union to act in defense of González’s rights and freedom of the press.

In March, the International and European Federations of Journalists They stated that González’s arrest is an attack on freedom of the press and democracy and called on the Polish government to release him.