A picnic in Poland turned into a scandal: police handcuffed a Ukrainian

A picnic in Poland turned into a scandal: police handcuffed a Ukrainian

An incident in Gliwice has sparked outrage among local residents. Bohdan, a Ukrainian who has been legally living in Poland for 20 years and works as a translator, became the victim of an absurd situation.

This was reported by Wyborcza.

In July, he organized a small picnic with friends and family in a schoolyard. At that time, a group of young people, around 20 years old, arrived and began shouting loudly, swearing, and behaving aggressively. Bohdan asked them to calm down, but in response, he received a barrage of insults, including xenophobic remarks such as: «A Ukrainian won’t teach us.»

When the situation did not improve, the man called the police. The young people laughed, saying «the cops won’t come anyway.» The patrol indeed arrived only after a second call. Bohdan explained his version of events, but unexpectedly, the situation turned against him: since he did not have his passport with him, the police officers put handcuffs on him.

Bohdan emphasizes that he did not refuse to provide his personal details but only asked to do so privately so that the aggressive group would not hear his name and address. Despite this, he was taken to the police station and then to his home to retrieve his documents, all while remaining in handcuffs.

— I didn’t resist, didn’t try to escape, and didn’t hide my details. My friends, neighbors, and even children saw me in handcuffs. The aggressors were delighted when I was taken away, — the man recounted.

Now he is suspected of «obstructing police actions» under Article 65a of the Code of Offenses.

The police claim that the use of handcuffs is a standard safety measure in cases where a person does not have identification documents. At the same time, they stress that the man was not formally detained.

Lawyers remind that foreigners in Poland are obliged to always carry a document confirming their identity and right to stay. Otherwise, the police have the right to take them to the station.

Bohdan intends to file a complaint against the actions of the police. He admits that after this incident, he understands why many Ukrainians in Poland are afraid to contact the police, even when they face injustice.