Polish man sentenced to life in Congo on espionage charges has been released and returned to Europe

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Congolese authorities have released a Polish man who was sentenced there to life in prison on espionage charges, Poland's top diplomat said Tuesday.

Mariusz Majewski is back in Europe, Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said on X. Sikorski posted a brief video of himself apparently talking to Majewski over the phone to welcome him back. He didn't say where exactly Majewski was.

The 52-year-old Majewski was detained in Congo in February and later faced a military court in the Central African nation, accused of spying. Last week, he received a life sentence in prison. No details were released as to where he was held.

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

The Mobondo is a militia group that has been involved in intercommunal violence in southwestern Congo since 2022.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry says that Majewski was innocent. President Andrzej Duda spoke on the phone last week with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi seeking to obtain Majewski's release.

Poland doesn't have a diplomatic mission in Congo.

Last week, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński said without elaborating that Majewski “is not a spy, he is a member of a travelers club” and was just following his “passion in life.” Wroński said his “behavior was the result of a lack of knowledge of local customs.”

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

FILE - Poland's Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski addresses reporters at the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 14, 2024. Congolese authorities have released a Polish man who was sentenced there to life in prison on espionage charges, Poland's foreign minister said Tuesday May 28, 2024. Radek Sikorski wrote on social media platform X that Mariusz Majewski was back in Europe. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)

FILE - Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi speaks during a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The office of Poland's president says Abdrzej Duda has spoken on the phone with Congolese president in an effort to obtain the release of a Polish traveller sentenced there for life in prison on charges of sabotage. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)

FILE - Poland's President Andrzej Duda gives a statement to the media in Warsaw, Poland, on Jan. 10, 2024, after the arrest of two politicians convicted of abuse of power who had taken refuge for hours in the presidential palace. The office of Poland's president says Abdrzej Duda has spoken on the phone with Congolese president in an effort to obtain the release of a Polish traveller sentenced there for life in prison on charges of sabotage. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, File)

Polish man sentenced to life in Congo on espionage charges has been released and returned to Europe

Polish man sentenced to life in Congo on espionage charges has been released and returned to Europe

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Multiple people were shot Saturday along Interstate 75 in a rural area south of Lexington, authorities said.

The Laurel County Sheriff's office said in a post on Facebook that it was an “active shooter situation” and “numerous persons” were shot near the highway. It added that the interstate was closed 9 miles north of London.

A “heavy presence of police and fire personnel” was on the scene and “working diligently to address the situation,” the Mount Vernon Fire Department said in a statement. It advised motorists to avoid I-75 and US 25.

“I am receiving initial reports from the Kentucky State Police and our Office of Homeland Security — together we are actively monitoring the situation and offering support in any way possible,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a post on the social platform X. “Please pray for everyone involved.”

“We will provide more details once they are available,” Beshear said.

This image released by the Mount Vernon Fire Department shows traffic stopped during an active shooting on Interstate 75 north of London, Ky., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (Camden Mink/Mount Vernon Fire Department via AP)