A special team of prosecutors has been established at the District Prosecutor’s Office in Siedlce to investigate reports concerning defenders of the Polish-Belarusian border.
“The team has been conducting and continues to conduct proceedings related to 24 individual cases concerning specific incidents that occurred at the border. So far, proceedings in 18 of those cases have been concluded with decisions to discontinue the investigations,” stated Deputy National Prosecutor Marek Jamrogowicz.
Today in the Sejm, during a current affairs Q&A session, former Deputy Minister of National Defense Marcin Ociepa raised questions about the legal consequences being imposed on officers and soldiers serving at the Polish-Belarusian border.
“I want to stand up for those who have been falsely accused, attacked, and charged. I wanted to ask the Prime Minister directly, but I note his absence as a sign of political cowardice. Why was an indictment filed against a soldier who discharged his weapon while on duty at the border? Why was Inspector Tomasz Waszczuk, who defended our border, targeted and harassed—why was an indictment circulated in his case, which amounts to persecution?
Why have those who falsely accused our officers during the hybrid attack not faced consequences? Our soldiers were accused of burying the bodies of migrants at the border. Were any bodies actually found? If not, have charges been brought against those who made such defamatory accusations? And what happened to Anna Michalska, spokesperson for the Border Guard—why did she suffer consequences despite defending us against disinformation?” Ociepa asked.
Prosecution vs. Border Defenders
Deputy National Prosecutor Marek Jamrogowicz responded to the MP’s questions. He detailed the activities of the five-member team at the Siedlce District Prosecutor’s Office that handles cases related to border security. He noted that the investigations stem from complaints submitted by both private individuals and the services themselves.
“The team has been and continues to work on 24 threads relating to specific incidents in that region. At present, 18 of those have been closed, with decisions issued to discontinue proceedings. Not all of those decisions are final, as some victims have filed appeals, and we await the courts’ decisions,” said Jamrogowicz.
He listed specific cases where charges have been filed, including:
- Two Border Guard officers accused of exceeding their authority for personal financial gain and of destroying property in the form of documents.
- Three other Border Guard officers accused of exceeding their authority and of unjustified use of direct coercive measures.
On July 4, a motion was submitted to the District Court in Hajnówka requesting conditional discontinuation of criminal proceedings.
Jamrogowicz also referenced the case mentioned by MP Ociepa involving a police officer. In that instance, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Białystok, following a case review, decided to withdraw the indictment.
However, another case is ongoing in court against a Border Guard officer accused of exceeding his authority and violating the Law on Direct Coercive Measures, based on an indictment from the Białystok Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Jamrogowicz explained that cases involving soldiers fall under the jurisdiction of the military prosecutor’s offices.
He highlighted one case involving a soldier accused of unjustified use of a firearm, which allegedly endangered the life or health of ten migrants, two Border Guard officers, and two fellow soldiers. This case is currently in the judicial phase.
Another incident concerns negligent handling of a weapon, which resulted in two uncontrolled shots—one of which was fired in the direction of a Syrian citizen. That case is currently in the pre-trial investigation phase.