The bill has sparked controversy and raised voices of concern. The pan-European rights body Council of Europe and other activists had expressed apprehension, stating that police, border guards, and soldiers would now be able to act, or even kill, without accountability.
The draft law, which still requires the president's signature, followed a tragic death after a Polish soldier was fatally stabbed on the Belarusian border.
The new legislation "excludes criminal liability for the use of arms or direct force in violation of the rules" by the security forces if there was a threat to the safety of an individual or the country, as cited by AFP.
The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, voiced concern that the bill could "foster a lack of accountability and suggest a lack of commitment to human rights obligations".
Polish lawyer and activist Hanna Machinska on Friday told private TOK FM radio that "nothing justifies introducing rules that are a license to kill, as some people have said”.
Earlier this month, Poland announced it was beefing up its military presence and defense fortifications along its Belarusian border due to "constant provocations".
(aj)
SOURCE: AFP
