DISINFO: The arrest of a communist activist will be harmful to the international position of Poland
SUMMARY
The Polish secret police officially detained Michał Nowicki for his views. By this action carried out by the secret police officers, Poland announced to the world that it would persecute people for their Communist views. This situation makes no sense as the Communist Party in Poland is very small and marginalised – it does not run in any elections and it has no chance to receive any public support. Michał Nowicki and his initiatives have a low impact on reality.
Meanwhile, outside Poland, the situation with Communism looks different. The Communist Party has been in power in the largest country in the world for over 70 years (China is perceived by the Polish elites as a potential Russian ally in a situation of conflict). The communists is an important political force in Russia, Belarus and throughout entire Latin America (radical left). In this situation, the criminalisation of Communism will have a very bad effect on the opinion of Poland in many countries around the world, so the Polish authorities should be aware of it.
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 Michał Nowicki was detained “for his views” is ungrounded – Poland does not persecute its citizens for their personal views unless they are considered to be extremist or dangerous to society. There is no “secret police” existing in Poland.
On 7 July 2021, the Polish Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained Michał Nowicki, a Polish pro-Communist activist and publicist, accusing him of the promotion of the totalitarian ideology. According to the Polish authorities, this person called upon a “revolution” in Poland in order to re-introduce the totalitarian communist regime in this country. In his appeals, Nowicki urged to destroy particular historical monuments in Poland and attack 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.