The case included arson of the hall at ul. Marywilska 44 in Warsaw – one of the largest shopping centers in the capital. The fire that broke out in 2024 completely destroyed the facility and caused multi-million losses. Investigators found that this crime was a planned sabotage action.
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The findings of the prosecutor's office show that all three defendants operated in the years 2023-2024 within an international criminal structure covering Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine and Russia.
Judgment regarding the fire at the Marywilska hall. How did the criminal group operate?
This group aimed to organize sabotage and terrorist crimes – mainly arson of large commercial and warehouse facilities in the territory of European Union countries.
As emphasized by the spokesman of the National Prosecutor's Office, Prosecutor Przemysław Nowak, the actions of criminals “were intended to seriously intimidate many people and influence public opinion“. According to investigators, the accused acted jointly and in consultation with other people against whom proceedings are still ongoing.
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Serhij R. and Pavlo T. were additionally convicted of obstructing the investigation in two high-profile cases: the fire of the IKEA store in Vilnius (May 9, 2024) and the aforementioned arson of the hall on Marywilska. According to the prosecutor's findings, men they helped one of the main suspects avoid criminal liability — they organized accommodation for him in a Warsaw hotel, bought plane tickets, provided information to facilitate his escape, and then helped him leave Poland for the Czech Republic. Additionally, they paid for his stay in a hotel in Austria.
The National Prosecutor's Office informed that proceedings against the remaining members of this group are still ongoing. Investigators are also examining the organization's possible connections with foreign centers that could have inspired destabilizing activities on the territory of the European Union.
