Polish authorities are tracing the perpetrator of the murder of a 21-year-old Polish soldier guarding the border with Belarus, according to Polish media.
The attack took place on 28 May, and Sergeant Mateusz Sitek died of his injuries a few days later. The investigation revealed that the assailant was from the Middle East and was currently in Belarus, potentially planning to flee to Syria.
The identity of the killer of the Polish soldier was established by analysing video footage taken during the border attack. This crucial evidence allowed officials to establish the attacker’s appearance.
For several weeks Polish security services interrogated migrants who came to Poland and used informants from migrant groups in Belarus. A thorough investigation identified a man who on 28 May, during an attempted infiltration by a group of migrants near the village of Dubicze Cerkiewne, fatally stabbed Sitek with a knife attached to a stick.
After the attack, the 21-year-old sergeant was taken to a local hospital and then to the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw, where his death was announced on 6 June. In early June, Poland officially appealed to Minsk for help in identifying and arresting the murderer. However, representatives of Alexander Lukashenko’s administration ignored the request.
The attacker could presumably have fled from Belarus to Syria or another Middle Eastern country. However, apprehending him there and bringing him to trial might actually be easier for the Polish authorities than arresting him in Belarus.
Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz condemned the case, stressing that the investigation was being conducted by the prosecutor’s office, as well as civil and military special services.
The outcome is of utmost importance; this case is absolutely vital, prioritising the security of the Polish state and its citizens.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also stated that anyone who attacked a Polish soldier must bear the consequences, with the state relentlessly pursuing and punishing the perpetrator.
