Sakiewicz Warns of Secret Services Provocations Aimed at TV Republika

“We are receiving information from various important people on both sides that operational activities are being carried out by the prosecutor’s office and the special services, the ABW [Internal Security Agency], which concern several of our advertisers, especially one in particular, but also TV Republika itself. Their aim is to tie us to something that will be compromising. Even if we have no knowledge of it, no influence over it, there is an attempt to attach us to it. Such actions are a serious crime, there is no doubt,” said Tomasz Sakiewicz, President of TV Republika, today.

TV Republika is growing stronger, and this cannot please the opponents of freedom of speech. For a long time now, the station and its journalists have faced ostracism, exclusion, and at times outright hate from the camp currently in power in Poland.

Today, TV Republika reported that the special services are to prepare a provocation aimed at the station, ultimately intended to discredit it or even shut it down.

“We are facing a combination of different actions. What we know officially: there is a prosecutor’s investigation regarding CPAC, with a demand to provide all materials and the list of all guests who appeared there, including Secret Service agents. (…) We have received a letter from UOKiK [Office of Competition and Consumer Protection] concerning one of our advertisers, who was also present at CPAC. At the same time, we are being told by various important people on both sides that the prosecutor’s office and special services, the ABW, are conducting operational activities concerning several of our advertisers, particularly one, but also TV Republika itself. Their aim is to tie us to something compromising. Even if we have no knowledge of it, no influence over it, there is an attempt to attach us to it. Such actions are a serious crime, there is no doubt,” said the station’s president, Tomasz Sakiewicz, on air at TV Republika.

He assessed that such actions are being carried out “to silence the strongest center independent of the authorities, which creates a space for free debate, to sow uncertainty among our supporters, because after all, we rely on contributions from the public, and to intimidate advertisers.”

Tomasz Sakiewicz also pointed out that advertisers are returning to TV Republika’s broadcasts.

“We have information that the advertisers who stayed with TV Republika have quickly taken over the market position of those who left. Ten million viewers are ten million viewers – the numbers speak for themselves. If someone advertises to ten million people on their favorite channel, and another disappears, the first one gains a huge advantage. Especially since advertising with us is really inexpensive,” he added.