On 27 November 2023, the Bialystok Regional Court awarded compensation to Veronika, a volunteer at the Crisis Intervention Point on the Polish-Belarusian border, who was detained for 48 h by the police on 25 March 2022. The prosecutor's office charged Veronika with aiding and abetting an illegal border crossing, and also requested the volunteer's temporary arrest for a period of three months, with which the court disagreed.
In December 2022, the proceedings in Weronika's case were discontinued. In November 2023, the court awarded Weronika compensation of PLN 21,400, recognising that Weronika, as a young person, had been intimidated and may still suffer the consequences of the proceedings today. The court also found that right after Weronika's detention by the authorities, it was clear that the volunteer was providing humanitarian assistance to migrants, which, according to the court, is commendable and legitimate.
As you can read on the website of the Club of Catholic Intelligentsia (KIK), Veronika commented on the ruling as follows: "I am very pleased with the court's decision. It shows that those providing help at the border are right. Helping is and will be legal regardless of the prevailing political narrative. Unfortunately, there are many people operating on the Polish-Belarusian border who continue to be intimidated by the police when providing humanitarian aid. This political spectacle must stop."
This is a very important decision, which is part of the line of jurisprudence that the provision of humanitarian aid is legal and that repression of volunteers, activists, and humanitarian workers is a violation of the law.
At the request of the Club of Catholic Intelligentsia, Veronica was represented by Anna Mazurczak, advocate and Artur Kula, assistant advocate. Congratulations on the positive resolution of the case!
