Polish prosecutors have charged former Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and historian Sławomir Cenckiewicz with abuse of power related to the unauthorized disclosure of highly classified military documents, allegedly used for political gain during the recent election campaign.
Charges Filed Against Błaszczak and Cenckiewicz
On Friday, August 22nd, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw filed an indictment with the District Court in Warsaw against several individuals, including Mariusz Błaszczak. The charges allege abuse of power with the aim of securing personal benefits for the Law and Justice (PiS) party. Prosecutors assert that the former Minister of National Defense illegally removed “STRICTLY SECRET” and “SECRET” classifications from fragments of strategic-level operational planning documents.
According to a statement, PiS MP Błaszczak declassified, among other documents, the Plan for the Use of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (WARTA) and the Defense Policy and Strategic Directive. Excerpts from these documents were reportedly used during the election campaign, specifically in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) published by the official PiS profile in September 2023. The prosecutors claim this action was detrimental to the public interest and caused exceptionally serious damage to the Republic of Poland.
Furthermore, Sławomir Cenckiewicz is accused of exceeding his authority to obtain personal benefit related to the use of the declassified materials in the TV series “Reset,” of which he was the author and primary beneficiary.
“An Act of Revenge,” and Claims of False Charges
Both Błaszczak and Cenckiewicz have vehemently denied the accusations. Błaszczak stated, “This is not an act of prosecution, but an act of revenge by Donald Tusk against me, which has been referred to court. This is the price I pay for revealing the plans of the first PO-PSL government regarding the surrender of almost half of Poland without a fight.” He added, “If I were faced with this dilemma again, I would undoubtedly declassify documents showing the true intentions of the Tusk team. This is how I understand my mission as a politician – to serve the people, and especially the residents of Eastern Poland should have known what fate the PO-PSL government had in store for them.”
Cenckiewicz, in turn, expressed relief that the case was going to court. “I know the entire record of the proceedings – public and secret, and I was astonished to find that I am the ‘great absentee’ in the investigation, which only further convinces me that the case has purely political dimensions and is motivated by revenge! The charges are false and completely unjustified in substance. The prosecutor cannot justify them. This is revenge by people who, over the years, have fostered friendship with Russia and entangled state institutions in relations with Russia! Including the FSB!” he wrote in a post. The head of the National Security Bureau added that he “was and is innocent.”
Sikorski’s Warning
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also commented, stating, “Let this be a warning to all politicians not to pursue partisan gains.”
Source: Gazeta, Źródła redacted for this format.
