Minister of the Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, had little to say to border guards when asked about the acquittal of the so-called “Hajnówka Five” – a group that aided illegal migrants at the height of the crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. A question from a TV Republika journalist also visibly agitated Adam Szłapka, who went on to attack the station.
On Monday, another hearing took place in the trial of the so-called “Hajnówka Five.” On the defendants’ bench sat five activists: Mariusz C., Kamila Jagoda M., Marco W., Joanna H., and Ewa M.-K. Initially, the prosecution charged them with enabling or facilitating the stay of illegal migrants on Polish territory for financial or personal gain.
Judge Adam Rodakowski of the District Court in Hajnówka found no weight to the evidence and ruled that no crime had been committed, since the accused had not obtained any financial or personal benefit. In short, the five were allegedly transporting illegal immigrants from Egypt and Iraq into Poland purely out of personal conviction, without profit.
The prosecution stated that it was uncertain whether an appeal would be filed.
Yesterday, Marcin Kierwiński, the Minister of the Interior and Administration, was asked about the verdict.
“What kind of signal does this send to our border guards? What consequences might it have for the work of officers on the border?” pressed Monika Rutke of TV Republika, emphasising that she was relaying the question on behalf of Border Guard officers.
The minister had little to say:
“Unlike my predecessors from the previous team, I will not comment on court rulings. I am a state official; I do not comment on court judgments,”
he replied.
Government spokesman Adam Szłapka, present at the conference, came to the rescue. Instead of addressing the first-instance ruling, he attacked the station:
“I think there are certain limits to hypocrisy. You claim to be quoting border guards… I simply don’t believe it.”
What was the reason for Szłapka’s disbelief? “It was you who ran a massive campaign for Robert Bąkiewicz, who called police officers ‘dogs’ and insulted the Polish uniform of border guards, hurling abuse at them,” he accused.
Szłapka was referring to a private discussion recorded with a hidden camera. However, he did not mention the words of Władysław Frasyniuk on TVN24, where Polish soldiers were called “trash” and a “pack of dogs.”
“If you, representing TV Republika and Tomasz Sakiewicz, say that you have information from border guards, I do not believe it,” Szłapka concluded, speaking over Rutke, whose microphone was by then taken away.