Mariusz Maszkiewicz (born in Iława on May 31, 1959), is a doctor of human sciences, a diplomat, publicist, sociologist and economist. He has authored many articles covering diverse sociological issues, as well as studies into religions and international relations.

He read sciences from 1981 to 1986 in the Jagiellonian University of Kraków. During his time there, he became involved in the underground freedom movement that flourished in Poland at that time, and led group of the Wolność i Pokój (Freedom and Peace) organization in Czestochowa between 1987 and 1990. Unlike many ‘underground’ pro-democracy groups, who kept out of public scrutiny to avoid repercussions from the government, members of Wolność i Pokój had an open strategy and strove to make themselves—- and their opposition to totalitarian rule— unavoidably visible: they climbed up rooftops, went on hunger strikes, and openly spurned the military, sending back their draft papers. Read more about WiP here .

Mariusz continued to play a role in the public domain after the first free elections were instated in Poland in 1991. Between 1991 and 1994, he served as an aide-de-camp for the first government, and also served as an advisor on Lithuanian matters. Thereafter, he founded the first Polish consular office in Belarus, located in the city of Hrodno. Ambassador to Belarus since 1998 to 2002. After resuming his duties he didicated himself (since 2003) to the NGO activities and worked as privat consulting expert for interpreauners and investors.

Mariusz was arrested on March 24, 2006, alongside hundreds of others, for protesting against the re-election of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, a vote that Western observers claim was fraudulent. Mariusz was hospitalised soon after his arrest, with heart problems, and claims that he was subjected to ‘unmerciful’ beatings whilst being transported to his isolation cell. Since January to November 2007 works an te Eastern Policy adviser to Prime Minister Kaczynski. Since February 2008 vice-director of the Eastern Policy Department in the Polish MFA. In 2009 released from that post and being in so called “disposal” elected by co-workers as a chairman of Solidarity Trade Unions in the MFA. Assistent Profesor at the Law and Administration Faculty in the University of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski in Warsaw.

Author of books:

“Mystic and Revolution”, Cracow 1995

“Belarus Tristan” Wroclaw 2006

“Belarus – towards a united Europe” (red.) Wroclaw
2009;

“Our patriotism, their chauvinism? Dialogue with
prof. V.Landsbergis”, Toruń 2011