DISINFO: Poland implements systematic repressions against Russian citizens
SUMMARY
The hunt for alleged [Russian] agents has begun in Poland after 2014. Here are some of the cases worth recalling. In 2014, an operation started against the longtime Russian correspondent in Poland Leonid Sviridov – he was forced to leave the country and in addition, he was added to the list of people banned from entering the Schengen area. In the following years, the repressions were extended to other citizens of the Russian Federation: scholars (prof. Dmitry Karnauchov), people taking care of the Red Army's monuments in Poland (Anna Zacharian, Ekaterina Cywilska). Arrests and persecutions of Polish citizens who had a different point of view on relations with Russia than the Polish Government also took place.
Similar processes have taken place in other countries such as Lithuania and Czechia. Although, in no other country have the repressions and persecutions [of the Russian citizens] become as systemic and unlawful as in Poland, which can be compared only with Ukraine after the 2014 coup in Kyiv.
RESPONSE
This message is a part of the Kremlin’s widespread narrative about Russophobic Poland. The pro-Kremlin media regularly accuses the political elites of Poland of Russophobia and the implementation of anti-Russian policies. The claim that Poland implements “systemic and unlawful” repressions and persecutions of Russian citizens is unfounded. Poland is a Democratic country, which respects Human Rights and does not discriminate or oppress any person because of their citizenship and political opinions.
On 15 March 2021, the Polish authorities decided to prolong the travel ban for Leonid Sviridov (a Russian journalist working in Poland before 2014). The Polish special services expelled Sviridov to Russia in December 2015 because he was suspected of espionage in favour of the Russian special services (his case was under review since October 2014).
Dmitry Karnauchov, Anna Zacharian and Ekaterina Cywilska were expelled from Poland because of serious security concerns (such as espionage and hybrid war activities).
The claims that the Polish decision to expel these persons is a violation of the freedom of speech or a “systemic discrimination of the Russian citizens in Poland” is not true as these well-identified people posed a security threat to Poland. Russians living in Poland enjoy a normal life.
See other examples of similar messages claiming that Polish media promote the idea that the Russians are not people, but “agents of the Kremlin”, the Polish authorities created an insane hysteria of intimidation with Russia, used for the needs of domestic politics and Poland started another wave of Russophobic political persecution of the Russian journalists.