– “A very courageous man who publicly spoke out about certain pathological practices and was punished for it. Just as we have discussed freedom in a broader systemic, constitutional, and ideological context, so too—through the case of Adam Borowski—this freedom will not be restricted,” said the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, in an interview with TV Republika.
Poland and the United States are not merely allies. We are nations built on the same idea—that government should serve the people, not rule over them. That freedom must be protected, not managed. That tradition matters, because it gives meaning to freedom—President Nawrocki said during his speech at CPAC.
Later, in an exclusive interview with TV Republika, the president was asked by Tomasz Sakiewicz, the station’s editor-in-chief, “how to fight today for freedom, which is under threat in Poland.”
– “I have bad news for those who want to fight against Polish freedom. It is good news for those who love freedom—for Poles who understand how the Polish spirit resonates—because Polish freedom cannot be defeated. Invaders, occupiers, and communists tried this for five decades. It is not possible to take away a certain feature of our national genotype, which is freedom. I was elected president to safeguard the freedom of Poles and to ensure the realization of this fundamental emotion of our nation,” declared Karol Nawrocki.
He pointed out that there are ongoing attempts to limit freedom.
– “When we look today at the political situation, at certain actions of the government, the judiciary, or some legislative proposals on which I must make decisions, we see that freedom is meant to be restricted. But Poles elected me president precisely so that I would clearly and firmly say: Polish freedom cannot be limited or taken away,” the president stated.
“Adam Borowski is a very courageous man”
– “As soon as you ask this question, I see the face of Mr. Adam Borowski—a brave anti-communist opposition activist who has been sentenced by a court. I now view your question through the prism of this figure,” he added.
Tomasz Sakiewicz noted that Adam Borowski “symbolizes the problems that people of freedom face in Poland today.”
– “A very courageous man who publicly spoke out about certain pathological practices and was punished for it. Just as we discussed freedom in a broad systemic, constitutional, and ideological context, so too—through the case of Adam Borowski—this freedom will not be restricted. And once again, I return to the fact that this is precisely why the presidential elections took place,” President Nawrocki continued.
President considers a pardon
In the past week, the District Court for Warsaw-Wola, with Judge Katarzyna Bień presiding, ruled that Adam Borowski—an iconic anti-communist opposition figure and head of the Warsaw club of Gazeta Polska—is to serve six months in prison in connection with a statement concerning Civic Coalition MP Roman Giertych.
The case, in which Roman Giertych acts as a private prosecutor, was brought before the District Court for Warsaw-Śródmieście, 2nd Criminal Division. The Civic Coalition MP, offended by remarks made over a year ago, initiated criminal proceedings. Borowski was charged under Article 212 §2 of the Polish Penal Code and was also asked to pay 200,000 złoty. The private indictment concerned a specific quote related to the Polnord affair, which was made during a program on TV Republika. Borowski refused to apologize, stating that “one does not apologize for the truth.”
– “The court stated that I had the opportunity to apologize, and I did not take it,” Borowski said on Tuesday after leaving the courtroom. The prosecutor in the case had requested a suspended sentence. – “The court remained unyielding,”Borowski added. His defense team will appeal the decision to the Regional Court in Warsaw.
At the same time, a procedure concerning a presidential pardon for Borowski is underway. This week, officials from the Chancellery of the President reported that Karol Nawrocki has requested the case files.