Polish Parliament approved amnesty for citizens fighting in Ukrainian military, with key votes from ruling party and opposition coalition.
Voting Results
Witold Czarnecki from PiS voted against the amnesty law for Polish volunteers defending Ukraine. Roman Fritz, Włodzimierz Skalik, and Sławomir Zawiślak from the Polish Crown Confederation also opposed it. All present members of the Confederation, the Direct Democracy group, and independent Marek Jakubiak abstained from voting.
Volunteers’ Relief
Andrzej Podgórski emphasized that the Polish Legion had long sought such legislation. “Many of these volunteers, our boys fighting in Ukraine, face daily challenges and worry about what awaits them when they return home. It’s crucial to provide them with psychological peace of mind,” Podgórski stated. Marcin Januszewski, code-named “Torpeda” serving in the Ukrainian army, expressed joy about the new law.
Mixed Reactions
“Torpeda” noted that Polish fighters in Ukraine want to repel Russian aggressors. “Over three and a half years, I’ve collected everything: injuries, shrapnel, broken ribs, knocked-out teeth. But I’m happy because I can walk, I have two arms and two legs,” Januszewski said. Damian Duda from the “Meanwhile” Foundation assessed that the amnesty alone won’t build trust. “Many Poles still won’t come forward due to fear of Polish services and lack of trust in the Polish state for life,” the battlefield rescuer told Polish Radio.
Legal Details
Author of the amnesty legislation, KO MP Paweł Suski, claims it’s a deserved solution for Poles fighting for Ukrainian freedom. He highlighted the unprecedented first sentence of the law: “forgiveness and forgotten.” The new regulations are estimated to cover several hundred people and would apply retroactively from 2014, the start of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
