He fired 12 shots during the border attack. The verdict was passed regarding the soldier

Karol S., a former soldier of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade, was acquitted by the Garrison Court in Lublin. The case concerned an incident that took place in March 2024 on the Polish-Belarusian border near Dubicze Cerkiewne. The man then fired 12 shots from his service weapon when a group of migrants tried to cross the border. There were also Border Guard officers and other soldiers nearby. In the end, no one was hurt.

The migrants were about to force the barrier, so he fired

According to investigators, a group of migrants used jacks and ladders to destroy the border barrier. Polish services were allegedly attacked with stones and tree branches. Soldiers and guards responded with tear gas.

The prosecutor’s office accused Karol S. of exceeding his powers and endangering the lives of other people. Experts assessed that some of the bullets could have posed a threat – three of them ricocheted.

The accused himself argued from the beginning that he fired alarm shots and acted in accordance with the procedures. He claimed that he wanted to warn other posts and stop migrants from crossing the border of Poland and Belarus.

Karol S.’s defense talked about enormous pressure

During the trial, the former soldier’s defense lawyers emphasized that he had acted in a situation of great stress and real danger. They also argued that no people were hit and that the shots were a warning.

– All shots were alarming and were intended to support the officers’ actions – argued Karol S.’s lawyer, quoted by “Fakt”.

The case had a great emotional weight because it concerned the rules for the use of weapons by soldiers protecting the state border. Ultimately, the court found that the former military man had not committed a crime.