President Duda: case of detained soldiers must be thoroughly clarified, no reason to dismiss prosecutor

President Duda issued a short statement on Friday regarding the case of three Polish soldiers who have been detained after firing warning shots at a group of migrants who tried to forfully cross the Polish-Belarusian border.

"The measures taken by the Miliatry Police against soldiers at the border were drastic and evoked a chilling effect," he said, adding that the case should be thoroughly investigated and explained in detail.

The president also commented on Prime Minister Donald Tusk's request that Deputy Prosecutor General for Military Affairs Tomasz Janeczek be dismissed over the incident.

"Persons deciding on the legal situation of soldiers must be absolutely beyond reproach," Tusk said at a press conference earlier on Friday.

"As of today, there is no justification for dismissing Prosecutor Tomasz Janeczek," Duda said. He also warned against attempts to make "a scapegoat" of Janeczek.

"The responsibility for this matter, in fact, lies with the prime minister; the responsiblity is on his associates," he added.

According to information provided by the National Public Prosecutor's Office, in early May prosecutor Janeczek decided in writing he will personally take over the supervision of the soldiers' case.

In a statement published on the X portal, he argued, however, that he was "in no way informed about the incidents at the border or the subsequent procedural steps taken by the prosecutor".

President Duda also asked why Donald Tusk did not inform him of the incident. "How is it that I learn about such an incident de facto from the media?" - he added.

He also stressed the necessity to increase means to protect Polish soldiers. "It's a question of our responsibility for the safety of our soldiers."

Duda also argued at the briefing that regulations concering soldiers who support the Border Guard should be changed. "Separate, special regulations are needed, so that they (soldiers) don't act based on regulations regarding the Border Guard, but have separate rules."

The president has schedules a meeting of the National Security Council for Monday.