Human Rights First Welcomes Acquittal of Polish Activists, the “Hajnówka Five”

Human Rights First welcomes today’s verdict of a Polish court to acquit five activists—known as the “Hajnówka Five”—who had faced years in prison for providing humanitarian aid to people who had crossed the border from Belarus. They were accused of giving food, clothing, and short transportation to a desperate Iraqi couple and their seven children, and to an elderly Egyptian man. Human Rights First knows some of them personally, has closely monitored their trial, and provided evidence to the court confirming their actions as humanitarian.

“Today’s outcome is the right one, but these five people should never have faced charges in the first place. They have faced years of stress and the prospect of going to prison. Prosecuting humanitarian assistance was always a travesty, and today the court recognized that solidarity is not a crime. Let’s hope this means no more people will be prosecuted for acts of kindness” said Human Rights First Senior Advisor Brian Dooley, who attended the trial last week.

Since 2021, when large numbers of people began crossing from Belarus into Poland and neighboring countries, Human Rights First has documented repeated attacks by authorities on Human Rights Defenders working near the border.

By acquitting the ‘Hajnówka Five,’ Poland has sent an important signal that it does not consider humanitarian aid a crime. The verdict stands in stark contrast to last month’s conviction of Latvian activist Ieva Raubiško, and offers hope to activists across Europe facing similar threats.

Human Rights First joins Polish and international human rights groups in celebrating this acquittal and will continue to stand with those who provide life-saving assistance to refugees.