Act of indictment against a soldier who fired informing shots against migrants on the border with Belarus

The territory Attorney's Office in Warsaw directed an indictment against a soldier who, on March 25, 2024, in the Dubicz-Church area, on the border with Belarus, fired 12 shots of service weapons.

Shots fired at illegal migrants pushing the border and border guards and another soldiers present. According to investigators, the military overstepped its authority, endangering the lives and wellness of others, although, as he himself maintained, acted in accordance with the work to defend the state border.

The charges against a soldier are serious: overshooting of weapons rights, which could consequence in a punishment of up to 3 years in prison. According to the D.A.'s office, they weren't informing shots. The experts stated that they had fallen toward people, which was to regulation out their alarming character. At the same time, proceedings against the another soldier were dismissed – he was found to have been injured due to the fact that he himself was in the scope of fire.

The prosecution was based on recordings from perimetric cameras and expertise in ballistics, imagination and reconstruction of events. announcement of possible crime was given by the commander of the Military Task Force Podlasie. The case was investigated by the Military Police.

When information about the arrest of a soldier went to the media, the case provoked outrage. Politicians, experts and citizens began to ask: can the state that sends its soldiers to defend the border then bring them to justice for trying to defend this border against aggressive, illegal trespasses?

This case illustrates a wider problem: the deficiency of clear rules that would defend officers performing their duties on the front line of the threat. A soldier from the church Dubich did not fire a whim. He reacted to a dynamic, real threat – he reacted as trained by the military. And today, alternatively of support, he has to defend himself against justice.