Prosecutor's Office In Bialystok Issues Arrest Warrant For Deserter Who Fled To Belarus

• 28.12.2021, 8:11

The order is valid on the territory of Poland.

The prosecutor's office of the Bialystok region of Bialystok-North on Monday, December 27, issued an arrest warrant for a soldier of the 16th Pomeranian mechanized division Emil Czeczko, who had deserted to Belarus. The order is valid on the territory of Poland. Earlier, the Bialystok prosecutor's office in absentia brought charges against the Polish soldier under paragraph 3 of Article 339 of the Polish Criminal Code - "Desertion". This was reported by the Polish TV channel tvn24.pl.

- The arrest warrant is valid in Poland. So far, this is too early stage of the proceedings to consider the issue of extradition, - said the Deputy District Prosecutor for Military Affairs Radoslaw Wiszenko.

According to the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division, where the soldier served, Emil Czeczko disappeared while on duty in the area of the settlements of Narewka, Semianowka and Lake Semianowka. The search began, but later it turned out that he crossed the border and ended up in Belarus.

In Poland, a criminal case has been opened against him for desertion - he faces punishment up to 10 years in prison. In connection with the incident, his commanders were dismissed. Earlier, Emil Czeczko said on state TV that the Polish military shot and killed volunteers who wanted to help migrants.

Last Tuesday, December 21, Czeczko was charged in absentia under the "Desertion" article. Under this article, a Polish serviceman faces from a year to 10 years in prison.

Within the framework of the ongoing legal proceedings concerning the incident with the Polish military, the actions of Emil Czeczko can also be examined from the point of view of the articles of a separate chapter of the Criminal Code - "Crimes against the Republic of Poland".