Help for refugees | Poland: "They want to criminalize humanitarian aid"

You are on trial in Poland for providing food and clothing to refugees. In 2021, thousands of people entered Poland via Belarus to apply for asylum. Poland viewed this as a "hybrid attack," sealed off the border region, and responded with brutal pushbacks. How do you assess the charges against yourself and the other four activists—the "Hajnówka Five"?

The charges were a shock to me. I live in the Białowieża Forest on the border with Belarus. Many people there, like me, helped refugees because the Polish government did nothing. We believed that no one should die in our forest. That's why we gave our food and our time to people in need. Now we face five years in prison or even more. The prosecutor compared us to smugglers. That's wrong. We give people our own food and don't take money from them. Smugglers, on the other hand, work for profit.

How did this accusation come about?

In 2022, two of my co-defendants were arrested in a car with three refugees. They were activists who had decided to help the people in the forest. I was added to the case because of my contact with them. At the time, it involved a Kurdish family with seven children and a man from Egypt. I gave them food and sleeping bags and showed them where they could rest for a while. Often, the refugees in the forest were in poor health, and their only hope was to take them to the doctor in the nearest town. My co-defendants probably intended this. If the people had stayed in the forest, they would have faced violent repulsions.

The next and likely final court hearing is on May 14. What verdict do you expect?

I expect all the evidence to be examined. I haven't harmed anyone, I've only helped people. I hope it will be a fair trial. I don't know what the judge is thinking. My feeling is that he's not biased and will be open to the facts on the table.

In 2021, the Polish government completely sealed off the border area with Belarus – even journalists weren't allowed to enter without military escort. Can you explain how you came to be helping refugees in this environment?

As a national park employee, I spent many, many hours in this forest. I worked there, I lived there. The exclusion zone was the place of my everyday life. Back then, it was like this: you're out for a walk or on your way to see family, and suddenly you meet desperate, hungry, sick, and hypothermic people. At first, the local residents called the border guards when they saw refugees. But then, a few days later, they met the same family again and realized the ping-pong the people seeking protection were exposed to at the border. There were repeated pushbacks. Then they stopped calling the border guards. It was each individual's decision how to react to the situation. I decided to help.

How has regional history influenced your actions?

During World War I, Russian troops withdrew from Poland, using the "scorched earth" tactic. Our region was completely destroyed, and nearly four million people became refugees. Our great-grandparents survived only because a stranger helped them. They taught us how to be human. This history has shaped our region. There's a saying: "For evil to triumph, it's enough for good to do nothing."

How are people in Poland reacting to this process?

I was really worried about that. But where I live, I have a lot of support from my neighbors, colleagues, and friends. That's great! That's why I decided to use my full name and picture in this process. If you ask people in Warsaw, they might think differently. People living in a fancy apartment in the city can think about big political issues. But here at home, it's not about geopolitics; it's about real people and their lives.

How has your everyday life changed as a result of the charges?

My health isn't good. I often have headaches and am very stressed. The story began in 2022 – now it's 2025, and for us, it won't end in a few days. But I only have one life. I have my children and my elderly mother to take care of. I'm tired. But I'm 56 years old. I knew my help could have consequences. But the fact that "my state" turned against me like this made me very sad.

What impact does the process have on other people who want to support refugees?

It's not even about supporting refugees. I think it's about defining what counts as humanitarian aid. It's about setting an example. The Polish government wants to criminalize humanitarian aid. They want to show other people: Don't do that. None of this was my idea. My whole life revolves around our cultural heritage, around nature conservation. And then suddenly these people were here, and I had to react. This accusation is intended to show other people in the country that it's better not to be humane and to follow the country's rules instead.

What is the current situation?

The Polish government has built a wall on the border with Belarus, which is monitored by drones and special equipment. There are still migrants at the border, but they are hunted down and returned by border guards and the military. We "normal people" no longer see refugees in the woods here in my area. We only hear when another body is found in the swamp.

In 2023, the right-wing populist PiS party was voted out of office. The new government under Donald Tusk ( liberal-conservative Civic Coalition ) suspended the asylum law in 2024 and does not intend to implement the GEAS reform. Did you expect that?

I have to say, it's worse than before. When PiS was in government, Adam Bodnar was the civil rights commissioner and deputy head of the Polish Helsinki Foundation [a non-governmental organization working on human rights in Europe, especially Poland]. Activists like Grupa Granica saw him as someone who would help them defend human rights. Now, as Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General, he has personally taken the initiative to bring us to court. The government is now doing the same thing as under PiS, except there's no one left in politics to support us.

The presidential elections will take place on May 18. What role does migration play in this?

In my view, it's good for politicians to speak negatively about refugees and migrants. Those who say, "We are against refugees," are rising in the polls. This is a trend across Europe.

What would you like to tell people outside Poland about your case?

When refugees find their way to us, regardless of their reason, we ordinary people have only one task: We must act according to our conscience. We must show solidarity with one another—in our neighborhoods and also with strangers. I always try to live in such a way that I treat others the way I would like to be treated. Politics is constantly changing: The most important thing we can do is inform ourselves and remember that we are all human beings.