BERLIN – For the first time since the end of communism (in 1989) a writer in Poland risks a prison sentence for what he wrote. However, this is an insulting criticism for the head of state Andrzej Duda for his immediate lack of congratulations a Joseph Biden after the victory in the presidential elections in the USA. By law in the country, insulting heads of state and religion is a criminal offense that includes up to three years in prison.
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The writer in question is called Jakub Zulczyk, is also known outside the country for writing the scripts for television series Blinded by the lights e Belfer. A criminal case was opened against him by the judiciary in connection with a singular and questionable post on Facebook in November.
Then, in the aftermath of Joseph Biden’s victory, Polish President Andrzej Duda, elected with the votes of the majority sovereign PiS party, had not sent quick congratulations to the winner. He had only written “congratulations on the success of his electoral campaign”, adding to “await the response of the constituency” for a final judgment. Duda as the Polish government had formed strong political and personal relations with Donald Trump.
Against this background comes Zulczyk’s gaffe. Who had commented in his post: “There is no nomination of the winner of the US presidential electoral college, it is a pure formality. Duda is a moron.” According to the judiciary, the criminal case against the writer has been opened as an insult to the head of state.
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Aleksandra Skrzyniarz, speaking on behalf of the prosecutor of the capital Warsaw, he also informed that “the accused, questioned on the case, did not admit guilt, but only replied that he did not want to insult anyone and that he only criticized the choice of the head of the State “.
In November, after Biden’s victory, silences and delays in greetings from Warsaw and Budapest (EU and NATO member countries), but also from Moscow, contrasted with the immediate congratulations sent to Biden by the elected leaders of the main Western countries.
Zulczyk commented, quoted by the Guardian: “Apparently I will be the first writer in decades to be convicted in this country for what he wrote.” Insulting the head of state is a punishable offense in many countries. At the same time, observers note that many Polish laws, which define a criminal offense a series of criticisms, even harsh ones, are increasingly the object of criticism from civil society and international organizations. Two examples for all: the punishment as a criminal offense of every sentence or act of blasphemy, or of every insult to the Polish national flag or national flags of other countries.
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