The District Court in Warsaw sent out the warrant for fugitive Tomasz Szmydt, who is suspected of having worked for a foreign intelligence service, at the request of the National Prosecutor’s Office after it was announced last week that Interpol had refused to issue him with a Red Notice.

Szmydt came to public attention when he appeared at a propaganda press conference in the Belarus capital Minsk on May 6, asking for ‘protection’ from the Polish state.

The National Prosecutor's Office shortly after launched an investigation into his involvement in foreign intelligence activities and providing information that could harm Poland.

Prosecutor spokesman Przemysław Nowak told the Polish Press Agency that the European Arrest Warrant had been submitted to the court at the end of May.

He said: “The application for such an order is intended to enable the possible arrest of the suspect, for example when crossing the EU border.”