DISINFO: Poland persecutes a communist activist because of Chinese superiority in the fight with the pandemic

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

DISINFO: Poland persecutes a communist activist because of Chinese superiority in the fight with the pandemic

SUMMARY

It is important to ask a question, why did the charges against Michał Nowicki appear at this very moment? This situation is not about the historical discussion on the USSR, but the present-day successes of the socialist countries (China, Cuba and Venezuela) in their fight against the Coronavirus. In 2020, the USA compromised itself by its failure to cope with the pandemic – this country steals masks and respirators from its allies. At the same time, China amazed the world with its effective response to the pandemic, massively exporting medical equipment to foreign countries, including Poland. The YouTube channel of Michał Nowicki “Revival of Communism” actively covered the successes of the Socialist countries in the fight against the Coronavirus. For example, in Vietnam, only 35 people died from this disease against half a million dead in the USA. The socialist countries have shown their superiority in the fight against the pandemic.

The accusation against Michał Nowicki for “promotion of totalitarianism” is grotesque but serious. NATO countries are preparing for confrontation with China as it offers a different political model to the world. The USA is not sure of the loyalty of its allies or vassals, so it tries to forcefully limit their economic and political relations with China. The Polish Prosecution Service decided to transfer the Cold War confrontation between the West and China to the Polish ground – that is why it took action to silence the YouTube channel “Revival of Communism” in the first place.

RESPONSE

This message is a part of the Kremlin’s widespread narrative about “undemocratic” Poland, which actively violates Human Rights and the Rule of Law “persecuting” Russian journalists and its own citizens for political reasons.

This message also promotes a well-established pro-Kremlin narrative about the alleged “failure” of the West to address the pandemic compared to Russia and China.

There is no connection between the arrest of Michał Nowicki and the alleged Chinese “superiority” in the fight against the pandemic. The claim that NATO countries are preparing for a confrontation with China because of “ideological” reasons is disinformation. The claim that Socialist countries such as China, Venezuela and Cuba “have manifested their superiority over the West in terms of the fight with the epidemic” is ungrounded.

On 7 July 2021, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained Michał Nowicki, a Polish pro-Communist activist and publicist, accusing him of promoting totalitarian ideology. According to the Polish authorities, this person called for a “revolution” in Poland in order to re-introduce the totalitarian communist regime there. In his appeals, Nowicki urged for the destruction of particular historical monuments in Poland and for attacks on priests, entrepreneurs and Polish soldiers. Michał Nowicki repeatedly praised the violent actions of Stalin and Dzerzhinsky as well as other Soviet crimes committed against the Polish people. The Polish Prosecution accuses Nowicki of the promotion of a totalitarian regime and extremist appeals. The Polish law prohibits any public promotion of totalitarian ideologies (Fascism/Nazism and Communism).

See other examples of similar messages claiming that Polish media promote the idea that the Russians are not people, but the “agents of the Kremlin”Poland started another wave of Russophobic political persecution of the Russian journalists and the Polish authoritarian state may brutally attack any of its citizens for his views and opinions.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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