A large group of people who are putting their lives at hazard are waiting for this bill," said Cezary Tomczyk, Deputy Minister of Defence. At the sitting of 2 parliamentary committees, Members adopted a draft law on the non-punishment of volunteers defending Ukraine's freedoms. However, they introduced amendments concerning amnesty for the convicts already for fighting in the Ukrainian army of Poles.
Under Polish law, the service of Polish citizens in non-Polish armed forces is prohibited unless the government agrees. Last year, a group of Members of the civilian Coalition deposited in the Sejm project on abolition for Polish volunteerswho joined the Ukrainian army after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to aid him. "We have worked in full consensus, almost all the amendments and suggestions made by all sides of the political scene have been taken into account – so Vice-President of the National Defence Commission Paweł Suski (KO) reported on the task in subcommittees.
Source of experience
During yesterday's gathering of the Committee on National Defence and Justice and Human Rights, parliamentarians discussed first of all the request for 3 changes to the document. Its current wording reads: "He forgives and forgets crimes and misdemeanors involving the adoption... without the agreement of the competent authority, military duties in the Armed Forces of Ukraine". It goes on to talk about those who voluntarily admit to specified a service, so it is about the abolition mechanism.
– We have obtained information that there are already respective people who have been convicted of participating in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine – Paweł Suski revealed. Consequently, it was essential to let amnesty alongside abolition. – We have an amendment that regulates the aspect of amnesty. This was agreed between the ministries – Mr Suski meant the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Justice.
“These people are an invaluable origin of experience and knowledge”, said Witold Zembaczyński (KO) about Polish volunteers, justifying the request for abolition and amnesty. There were no unconvinced people in the courtroom.
Victim and perpetrator
Project assumptions do not make controversy and divisions. This was besides evident erstwhile the next amendment was adopted. Until now, the task had written that the bill would cover the period from the start full scale Russian invasion7 April 2014. "It is no secret that Polish citizens joined the fight on the side of Ukraine besides at an earlier phase of Russian aggression," concluded 1 of the members of the Sejm committee. According to the laws, abolition and amnesty are to concern only actions that were taken before the fresh law entered into force. This means that they will have six months to study their service to the Minister of Defence after that date.
On the initiative of Mr Śliwka (PiS), an amendment concerning the title of the law itself was besides adopted. To date it has been read as follows: The Act on the non-punishment of volunteers defending the freedom and independency of Ukraine, after the amendment it was: the Act on the non-punishment of Polish citizens taking part on the side of Ukraine in an armed conflict caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation to Ukraine. “It seems to me that this title, edited in this way, will be more appropriate,” said the author of the idea. "I think that for symbolic reasons it is worth extending it, to make it clear who the aggressor is and who the victim is – agreed with the erstwhile Deputy Minister Tomczyk.
Members of the Joint Committees adopted a study on the draft, but the amendments were tabled and the paper returned to the subcommittee.
Currently Polish law bans Polish citizens from military service in a abroad country without the prior consent of Polish authorities. According to the penal code: "Who, being a Polish citizen, accepts military duties in a abroad military or abroad military organisation without the agreement of the competent authority, is subject to imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years".
