An activist from the Border Defense Movement (Ruch Obrony Granic) faces up to one year in prison for what prosecutors claim was an illegal inspection of two foreign nationals at the German border. The man has been charged with impersonating a public official. The 44-year-old has denied the accusations.
The Border Defense Movement was formed in response to reports that German authorities were transporting illegal migrants into Poland. Activists patrolling areas near border crossings have repeatedly documented such incidents. Many of the videos posted by the group were filmed on the bridge in Słubice — as previously reported numerous times.
It was precisely an intervention on this bridge that led to the activist being charged. According to the prosecutor’s office, the 44-year-old unlawfully assumed the role of a public official (Article 227 of the Penal Code) when he allegedly checked the residence status in Poland of two men — citizens of Mozambique and Tajikistan. Prosecutors claim that the man carried out actions reserved for Border Guard officers, despite not being one himself. This raises the question — where were the actual border guards at the time?
The man was questioned as a suspect. He did not admit to committing the alleged act and exercised his right to remain silent. He has no prior criminal record.
The 44-year-old faces a penalty of a fine, restriction of liberty, or imprisonment for up to one year.