Because of heavy public interest, the verdict was announced at the District Court in Białystok. The case had been heard since January.
Prosecutors charged the group under Article 264a of the Penal Code, which penalizes enabling or facilitating another person’s stay in Poland for financial or personal gain with three months to five years in prison.
They sought one year and four months’ imprisonment.
The charges stemmed from a March 2022 incident on the Polish-Belarusian frontier involving an Iraqi family with seven children and an Egyptian citizen. One activist was also accused of providing food, clothing and shelter.
A defense lawyer said the group “humanely drove everyone to the nearest Border Guard post in Białowieża so they could apply for international protection.”
Judge Adam Rodakowski said the offense requires the accused—not the migrants—to obtain a financial or personal benefit, and there was no evidence the defendants benefited.
“The personal benefit cannot be for the foreigner […] the helper must obtain it,” he said in explaining the acquittal.
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Source: Polskie Radio 24, Rzeczpospolita