Eight years – that is how much time has passed since prosecutors prepared the indictment against Mateusz Piskorski. The prosecution accuses him of cooperating with the intelligence services of Russia and China, for which he allegedly received money. However, the trial before the District Court in Warsaw seems to be dragging on indefinitely.
A week ago, the portal Niezalezna.pl reported:
“Grzegorz Braun and Janusz Korwin-Mikke went to the Iranian embassy in Warsaw to sign the condolence book displayed after the death of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the published materials, Janusz Korwin-Mikke was accompanied during the visit by the pro-Russian activist Mateusz Piskorski, who is accused of espionage.”
“Obtaining substantial benefits”
In May 2016, officers of the Internal Security Agency arrested Mateusz Piskorski, the leader of the pro-Russian party Zmiana (“Change”). He was placed in pre-trial detention.
The indictment against Piskorski was prepared in April 2018. Prosecutors accused him of acting on behalf of the civilian intelligence service of the Russian Federation’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), conducting activities directed against the Republic of Poland. The allegations concern events from 2009 until the day of his arrest. According to the prosecution, this means he cooperated with Russian services for approximately seven years.
The second charge concerns “participation, from an unspecified date until 23 October 2015, in the activities of the intelligence services of the People’s Republic of China directed against the Republic of Poland.”
“During the investigation, it was established that Mateusz P., by conducting activities on a broad scale and by using his social, professional, and political position as well as contacts among politicians and journalists in Poland and abroad, influenced social groups both in Poland and internationally. In Poland and abroad, he promoted the political objectives of the Russian Federation. By attempting to shape public opinion, including by provoking anti-Ukrainian attitudes among Poles and anti-Polish attitudes among Ukrainians, he sought, among other things, to deepen divisions between Poles and Ukrainians and between Poland and Ukraine,”
the prosecution stated at the time.
“These actions were carried out by the accused in cooperation with Russian intelligence services, from which he obtained substantial financial benefits,”
it emphasized.
Change of judge
The case was referred to the District Court in Warsaw almost exactly eight years ago. To this day, however, no verdict has been issued, not even a first-instance ruling. The espionage trial has encountered numerous difficulties, even though Piskorski is the only defendant.
At first, proceedings moved relatively smoothly. The first hearing took place as early as September 2018, and several dates per month were scheduled afterward. Unfortunately, the presiding judge began to experience serious health problems and went on extended sick leave, effectively putting the proceedings on hold. Only after many months, at the beginning of 2021, was the case reassigned.
Judge Agnieszka Wysokińska-Walczak became, and remains to this day, the presiding judge of the panel. However, according to procedural rules, the case had to start again from the beginning: the indictment had to be read again, and witnesses had to be re-examined. The first hearing in the restarted trial took place in September 2021. During the initial stage, there were many hearings, but recently the pace has slowed. For example, in 2025, only six hearings were held, and in the second half of the year, not a single one.
A verdict soon?
The case files now comprise nearly 150 volumes. As with all espionage cases, Piskorski’s trial is being conducted behind closed doors. For this reason, it is not known what exactly is happening in the courtroom. The most recent hearing was scheduled for 11 March.
“The case is indeed not progressing particularly quickly, but we are already at the final stage,”
admitted Judge Anna Ptaszek, spokesperson for the District Court in Warsaw.
It should be remembered, however, that even if a verdict is issued in the coming weeks, it will not yet be final. An appeal will most likely follow, and later possibly a cassation appeal. If the verdict were to be overturned at any stage, and unusual things are currently happening within the justice system, several more years could pass before the case is definitively concluded.
In mid-May 2019, Piskorski was released from detention and has remained free since then, although preventive measures are still in place. As confirmed by the Warsaw court, these include a ban on leaving the country, confiscation of his passport, mandatory police supervision, and a financial bail guarantee.