Court acquits Polish soldier who accidentally shot Syrian refugee at Belarus border
The Syrian man had been seeking 50,000 zloty (€11,500) in compensation.
A Polish soldier has been acquitted of accidentally shooting a Syrian refugee at the Belarus border, according to a verdict announced in Warsaw. The Syrian man was seeking compensation of 50,000 zloty (€11,500) from the soldier, but the court found no negligence on the soldier's part. The incident occurred in November 2023 in Poland's Podlasie province, where the soldier was newly posted to the border.
Since 2021, thousands of migrants, mainly from Asia and Africa, have been attempting to cross from Belarus into Poland. Poland has deployed a large number of soldiers to the border to assist border guards and police. In this case, the soldier inadvertently discharged his weapon while chasing the fleeing Syrian, who was about 2 kilometers from the border when he fell.
The soldier provided immediate medical assistance, and the Syrian was later granted asylum in Poland. The defence ministry provided the soldier with legal counsel, and the court considered charges ranging from negligent use of a weapon resulting in serious injury to negligent use of a weapon causing impairment or a health disorder.
However, the court ultimately acquitted the soldier, citing doubts about the incident and a lack of conclusive evidence. The defence minister expressed support for the soldier, while the Syrian's lawyer indicated they would consider an appeal.
Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
