The former Polish Minister of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak, had his security clearance revoked by the Internal Security Agency on October 17, after an indictment was filed against him in Warsaw court on August 22.
Statement on Clearance Revocation
On Friday, October 17, former Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak announced that the Internal Security Agency (ABW) had revoked his security clearance. In a statement, he claimed vulnerability to blackmail amid allegations of disclosing the first government of former Prime Minister Tusk’s plans regarding Poland’s defense along the Vistula line. He also said that ABW had declined to hear his explanations and asserted that the decision was made within the offices of top Civic Platform politicians, not politically neutral special‑services officers who are the government’s sole tool.
Reasons for the ABW’s Decision
According to ABW spokesperson Jacek Dobrzyński, the clearance revocation took effect on September 29 following an indictment filed on August 22 with the Warsaw District Court. The indictment accuses Błaszczak of exceeding his authority and acting against public interest by removing the confidentiality of strategic‑level operational planning documents and publicly releasing them in the media in violation of the Act on Protection of Classified Information. The materials were used in a PiS campaign video during the campaign for the Sejm and Senate elections.
Mariusz Błaszczak’s Access to Classified Information
Mr. Błaszczak, a current member of the 10th term of the Polish Sejm, remains entitled under the Act on Protection of Classified Information to access classified materials, despite the revocation of his clearance by the head of the ABW.
