Yesterday’s incident at the border involved three Ukrainians. One was a man trying to escape forced mobilization. The other two were border guards pursuing him. The incident has now taken a predictable turn.
The 48-year-old Kyiv native was crossing the Dniester River when Ukrainian border guards allegedly beat him on the head with oars. He has been hospitalized with a concussion at Soroca Hospital.
“When he arrived at the hospital, he was already conscious. He complained of a headache, dizziness and general trembling. His condition is now stable, and his overall health is satisfactory,” said trauma doctor Dorin Jamba.
Under the law, the criminal case against the Ukrainian border guards should now include another charge: causing bodily injury. The case was initially opened over the alleged illegal crossing of the border.
Will the Border Guards Face Additional Charges?
Whether prosecutors add this charge is not just a legal question. It is also a political one.
The state of the rule of law here is already clear. The case of Hebel, which Manole considers both constitutional and unconstitutional at the same time, says enough.
The Ukrainian border guards are therefore unlikely to face serious consequences. Their victim, however, may face a very different outcome.
In a normal state governed by the rule of law—and one that is also neutral—the man would have a good chance of obtaining refugee status. Instead, he will most likely receive brief medical treatment and then be deported back to Ukraine.
There, those enforcing mobilization may punish him not only for trying to escape from “European” Ukraine, but also for the humiliation they suffered as a result of the incident.
We can only hope that the Moldovans who detained the border violators will not face consequences themselves.
