Poland is considering tougher criminal penalties for soldiers who disobey orders during wartime or in combat, including the possibility of life imprisonment, Rzeczpospolita reported.
The proposal follows concerns raised by the National Prosecutor’s Office that the country’s military criminal provisions were largely designed for peacetime and do not adequately address combat conditions.
In response, the Polish Ministry of Justice asked the Criminal Law Codification Commission to review the legislation and recommend changes.
Under current law, refusing or failing to carry out an order is generally punishable by up to three years in prison, with higher penalties if the offense involves multiple soldiers or causes significant harm.
Arguing that existing penalties are inadequate for combat conditions, the commission recommended a separate legal framework for battlefield offenses.
The proposal would increase penalties for disobeying military orders during combat to five to 30 years in prison, with life imprisonment possible in the most serious cases.
Experts Raise Concerns
While no draft legislation has been approved yet, the proposal has prompted debate among legal and military experts.
Przemysław Rosati, president of Poland’s Supreme Bar Council, said penalties should vary according to the offense’s consequences, arguing that a single punishment for all instances of disobedience in combat could raise concerns about proportionality.
Retired Gen. Roman Polko, former commander of the GROM special forces unit, also questioned whether tougher penalties would improve discipline.
He argued that leadership, training, morale, and trust between commanders and soldiers have a greater influence on battlefield conduct than the severity of criminal sanctions.
