She has brought shame upon herself and will face consequences. A report is filed with the prosecutor’s office regarding the possibility that Janina Ochojska committed defamation by accusing forest workers of secretly burying refugees in mass graves near the Belarus border, according to Michał Gzowski, the spokesperson for the state forests.
The spokesperson responded to remarks made by MEP Janina Ochojska (PO) on TOK FM on Friday about migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border, where she claimed that Polish forest rangers were involved in removing the bodies of deceased immigrants.
Controversial claims by Ochojska
She cited data from the Granica Group, which records 37 deaths on the Polish and Belarusian sides of the frontier.
“I believe there are many more victims along this border. Some may lie in mass graves, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, when access to the border was restricted, the bodies were gathered to erase evidence. Almost 300 people are currently listed as missing”, the MEP stated.
She also suggested that forest rangers were responsible for disposing of the bodies.
“Why do I think so? There was a period when rangers were appointed from across the country. For what purpose? Not to protect the forest during a difficult moment. They were summoned for something else”, she added.
Lies, defamation, and slander
PiS spokesman Rafał Bochenek commented on Friday night, saying that PO has chosen a path of lies and hostility in the absence of solid arguments and a clear strategy to win votes. He criticized Ochojska for damaging Poland’s image on the international stage by spreading untruths, stating that the party prefers substantive debate about programs and proposals for citizens.
“We want a debate focused on real policies, even if it becomes heated, but it should stay on the merits”, he said.
From December 2021 to June 2022, a ban remained in effect in the border area due to migratory pressure, covering 115 towns in Podlaskie Voivodeship and 68 towns in Lubelskie Voivodeship, with residents and local businesses exempt. A state of emergency also applied there from September to December 2021.
Border Police update
Since early March this year, border guards have logged around 600 attempts to cross the border illegally from Belarus into Poland. In February, about 1,500 attempts were recorded, with more than 1,400 in January as well.
Currently, the border strip rules are in effect in Podlaskie and are governed by a voivode regulation issued in September 2021, prohibiting stay across the entire border strip along the Belarus edge, which marks the outer boundary of the EU. Under the State Border Protection Act, the border road strip is an inland zone about 50 feet (15 meters) wide from the border, or from the watercourse or coast.
The electronic firewall project at the Polish-Belarusian border is nearing completion, featuring cameras and sensors that complement the steel barrier built last year, extending 186 kilometers from the border itself.
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(Source: wPolityce)