A reader, a resident of Bolesławiec, sent us a letter addressed to the commander of the Bolesławiec County Police Headquarters. It is a request to “conduct an explanatory investigation into the detention and the manner in which the questioning was conducted, which took place on 5 November 2020 in Złotniki Lubańskie.”

In the further part of the document, the reader describes the circumstances of his detention as follows:

Without informing me of the nature of the offense, [policjanci] they ordered me to hand over my personal belongings, put handcuffs on me and ordered me into an unmarked police car. I would like to emphasize that the entire time I did not know what was going on.

According to the complainant, the officers used vulgar language (“you f**king stole the welding machine”); throughout the journey they insisted that the reader was the one who had stolen the device in question. (“The questioning, which took place while driving to Bolesławiec, was unprofessional and primitive.”)

The man adds that the officers informed him neither of his rights nor what crime was involved; he was not told whether he was a defendant or a witness, and was not allowed to call a lawyer or his family. During the journey, the police officers also allegedly looked through the suspect’s phone—illegally, in the reader’s opinion.

The man describes the questioning itself as follows:

The questioning took place in the presence of the commander, who threatened me that if I did not confess, they would take us (he probably meant me and the other defendant) to the holding cell, quoting him: “You’ll really have a great time there with Marek, and if not there, then after you leave the detention center your colleagues will find you, and later we’ll find you in the woods—do you want that?”

The reader says he confessed to the theft because he feared for his life. He wants to withdraw his statements because “they were untrue and coerced.” He adds:

In summary, the detention and questioning were conducted very unprofessionally; I was not informed of my status in the case, and it was assumed from the outset that I was guilty. The questioning by the police officers and the commander involved vulgar and threatening language. When I tried to say something that did not suit the commander, he addressed me with the following words: “Shut up or I’ll f**king hit you, there’s something bad in your eyes, you bastard.”

In the letter, the Bolesławiec resident stated that he intended to pursue his rights in court and demanded the return of the deposit paid toward the fine.

Junior aspirant Anna Kublik-Rościszewska, press officer of the Bolesławiec County Police Headquarters:

The letter submitted to the Bolesławiec County Police Headquarters by [...] the reader was forwarded to the court as a complaint against the detention, pursuant to Article 246 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

She adds:

In addition, we are investigating the matter independently.