Polish president calls for release of Polish traveler sentenced to life in Congo

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke by phone with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi in a bid to secure the release of a Polish traveler sentenced to life in prison in the vast African country central for espionage, an aide said Monday.

The 52-year-old Pole, Mariusz Majewski, was arrested by Congolese forces in February and later appeared before a military court in the restive country, accused of espionage.

The allegations against him indicate that he “approached the front line with Mobondo militiamen”, moved along the front line without authorization and “took photos of sensitive and strategic locations and secretly observed military activities.

The Mobondo is a militia involved in intercommunal violence in southwestern Congo since 2022.

Majewski was convicted last week and sentenced to life in prison. No details have been released as to where he is being held.

Duda's aide Wojciech Kolarski did not specify what the outcome of the conversation between the two presidents was, but stressed that the state has an obligation to take care of its citizens who find themselves in situations also dramatic abroad.

Majewski's family says he is in poor health and insists he is just a traveler.

Last week, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Pawel Wronski said without elaborating that Majewski “is not a spy, he is a member of a travelers club” and that he was not than following your “passion in life”.

Wronski said that it was because of a series of circumstances and chance events that he ended up in the Congo and that his “behavior was the result of a lack of knowledge of local customs.”

Polish authorities are aware of the “very difficult political situation in Congo” and the recent coup attempt, but they hope that Majewski will not be involved in a situation with which he has no connection.

Poland does not have a diplomatic mission in Congo.

Earlier this month, the Congolese army said it had foiled a coup attempt and arrested the perpetrators, including foreigners. Several American citizens are among those arrested.