A Warsaw court ruled against former Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, ordering him to apologize for defaming Maciej Lasek.
Court Ruling and Penalties
On Tuesday (September 30), the District Court in Warsaw ruled in a case involving Antoni Macierewicz, who was sued by Maciej Lasek for serious and unlawful violation of personal rights. According to PAP, the court prohibited Macierewicz from disseminating statements that violate Lasek’s personal rights. It also ordered him to publish an apology statement on X (Twitter) for 14 days and send a written apology to Lasek’s address. Additionally, Macierewicz must pay 20,000 złoty to the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP). The verdict is not yet final.
Defamatory Statements
Macierewicz had called Lasek a “liar and a fraud.” The case stems from a 2020 post where Macierewicz accused Lasek of falsifying an expert report on the Smolensk air disaster. He claimed Lasek had “poisoned Poles with lies about the ‘armored birch’ cut at 5.1 meters,” citing a subcommittee report based on research by the National Institute of Aviation Research. Macierewicz also accused Lasek of participating in the falsification and concealment of an expert report on explosions. Lasek filed a civil lawsuit seeking an apology and 30,000 złoty for WOŚP.
Prosecution Charges
In early September, the National Prosecutor’s Office questioned Macierewicz as a suspect, accusing him of disclosing classified information marked “top secret,” “secret,” “confidential,” and “restricted,” as well as other protected details about the Smolensk crash. The alleged offenses occurred between April 11, 2018, and May 22, 2022, while Macierewicz chaired a subcommittee investigating the crash. He faces up to five years in prison but denied the charges.
Findings of the Miller Commission
The cause of the 2010 Smolensk crash was investigated by the Commission for the Investigation of Aviation Accidents under Jerzy Miller. The commission concluded that the crash resulted from descending below minimum altitude at excessive descent rates, poor visibility, and a delayed go-around procedure. It found no evidence of an onboard explosion, contrary to Macierewicz’s claims.
