Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has enacted new legislation significantly expanding the powers of the military, police, and border guards, allowing them to use live ammunition and exempting them from criminal liability for such actions.
The ‘Act on Support for the Activities of Soldiers and Officers’ was signed into law on Armed Forces Day, as announced by Malgorzata Paprocka, the head of the presidential office.
The legislation authorizes military personnel to engage in domestic operations during peacetime and outlines the conditions under which firearms can be used.
It amends the Polish Criminal Code to remove legal repercussions for soldiers who use their weapons to protect themselves or others, even if such use contravenes existing regulations.
President Duda emphasized that the law will enhance border security and improve the safety of Polish soldiers.
The legislation follows recent incidents, including the death of a Polish soldier stabbed by a migrant and the detention of three troops for firing warning shots at the border with Belarus.
Critics, including Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty and Anna Maria Zukowska, leader of The Left parliamentary group, argue that the new law could lead to excessive use of force and undermine human rights protections.
They warn that it may result in unregulated force and a lack of accountability for abuses.
The influx of migrants at the Poland-Belarus border, which has been ongoing since 2021, has intensified tensions.
Poland accuses Belarus of orchestrating migrant flows as a form of hybrid warfare, a claim that Belarus denies.
