By Abida Kahlun
Bureau Chief Helsinki
SNN News Finland
WARSAW โ A Polish military court has acquitted a soldier who accidentally shot a Syrian migrant who had crossed into Poland from Belarus, clearing him of negligent use of a weapon more than two years after the incident.
Court clears soldier over 2023 border shooting
The Garrison Military Court in Warsaw issued the acquittal in a case that dates back to November 2023 in Poland’s northeastern Podlasie province, near the village of Topiลo in the Biaลowieลผa Forest.
The soldier, identified only as Adam ล. under Polish privacy law and holding the rank of second lieutenant, had only recently been posted to the border at the time. He was taking part in a pursuit of a group of people who had crossed illegally into Poland from Belarus when he tripped and fell.
During the fall his PM-98 Glauberyt submachine gun discharged, wounding the Syrian man. The court found the firing was unintentional, and acquitted him of negligent use of a weapon.
Compensation claim rejected
The Syrian man had sought 50,000 zloty, about โฌ11,500, in compensation from the soldier. The court declined to award it.
The verdict was welcomed by Poland’s defence minister, Wลadysลaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, whose ministry had supported the soldier’s legal defence and provided him with legal counsel. The case had become a focal point in Poland’s wider debate over how soldiers policing the eastern border should be treated when incidents happen during operations.
A flashpoint in the region’s border debate
Poland has kept a heavy military presence along its frontier with Belarus, where officials say groups of migrants have repeatedly attempted to cross, and where barriers, watchtowers and other border infrastructure have been built in response.
The episode sits within a wider regional pattern of hardening borders and tighter migration enforcement. SNN News Finland has reported on a Finnish border watchtower built just 13 km from Russia, on a migrant raid at a St Petersburg market, and on Finland’s push for tighter EU tourist visa rules for Russians.
What the ruling does and does not settle
The acquittal closes the criminal case against the individual soldier. It does not resolve the broader political argument over rules of engagement on the border, which has continued since the incident.
For the wounded man, the refusal of compensation leaves the practical consequences of the shooting unaddressed by the Polish courts. The judgment is reported to be subject to appeal, meaning the legal chapter may not be fully closed.
Key facts
- Who: a Polish soldier identified only as Adam ล., a second lieutenant, posted to the Belarus border.
- What: acquitted of negligent use of a weapon after his PM-98 Glauberyt discharged as he fell while pursuing migrants.
- When and where: November 2023, near Topiลo in the Biaลowieลผa Forest, Podlasie province.
- The injured man: a Syrian who had crossed illegally from Belarus; he sought 50,000 zloty (about โฌ11,500) in compensation, which the court refused.
- Reaction: welcomed by defence minister Wลadysลaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, whose ministry funded the soldier’s defence.
Frequently asked questions
Was the soldier convicted?
No. The Garrison Military Court in Warsaw acquitted him of negligent use of a weapon.
Why was he not named in full?
Polish privacy law allows the soldier to be identified only as Adam ล.
How did the shooting happen?
He was pursuing a group of people who had crossed from Belarus when he tripped and fell, and his submachine gun discharged unintentionally.
Did the injured man receive compensation?
No. He had sought 50,000 zloty, roughly โฌ11,500, but the court declined to grant it.
Is the case over?
The criminal case against the soldier has ended in acquittal; the ruling is reported to be subject to appeal.
Verified by Scandinavian News Agency Finland.
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