A Polish military court has acquitted a soldier who fired shots towards a group of migrants who had illegally crossed the border from Belarus, ruling that he did not abuse his powers or endanger lives unlawfully. The court found no evidence of criminal conduct, with the judge stating that the soldier had been fulfilling his duty to protect Poland’s border.
The case concerned Karol S., a private from the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade, who was involved in an incident on March 24th, 2024. According to prosecutors, he fired 12 shots from his service weapon towards a group that had breached border barriers. The group of around ten migrants had used tools to break through steel fencing and were carrying ladders, reportedly intended for use crossing further protective obstacles.
The migrants later retreated back to the Belarusian side, throwing stones and branches at Polish officers, who responded with tear gas. At the time, two other soldiers were also investigated for firing warning shots during the same incident.
Prosecutors brought charges under Article 354(1) of the Polish Criminal Code, which concerns negligent handling of firearms and carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Karol S. denied wrongdoing, stating that he had clearly warned the group before firing the warning shots, which he claimed were neither intended or aimed to harm anyone.
In its ruling, the court emphasized that border officers were acting under difficult conditions amid repeated attempts to force illegal crossings. The judge noted that such incidents were frequent during the ongoing migration pressure at the Belarus border.
