DISINFO: Polish political police arrest people for actions that are not a crime
SUMMARY
The judiciary system of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe faces a problem – it allows detentions, arrests and repressions for actions that are simply not a crime. In the situation of arrested Janusz Niedźwiecki, we rely only on the information provided by the Prosecution and the ABW [Polish Internal Security Agency]. Thus, there is a high probability that Niedźwiecki became a victim of replacement of legal norms with the whim of political police.
Today, the European Union should force Poland, Latvia and other countries of the region to comply with the basic principles of the Rule of Law – these states imprison people without any procedures and appearances of legality.
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.
The claim that Poland arrests and “persecutes” persons who did not commit any crimes is ungrounded. There is no “political police” existing in Poland. Poland, Latvia and other Central and Eastern European countries counteract the Russian espionage operations and disinformation activities according to the legal regulations existing in these countries.
On 31 May 2021, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) arrested a Polish publicist Janusz Niedźwiecki – the Prosecution Service accuses him of espionage in favour of Russia. The Polish officials speak about the participation of Niedźwiecki in propagandist and disinformation activities aimed at the weakening of the international positions of Poland.
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 The Polish authoritarian state may brutally attack any of its citizens for his views and opinions.