A 51-year-old man from Wrocław was arrested after threatening to burn Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister alive on social media.
Gawkowski Statement
Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski thanked the services for their decisive action that prevented a real threat. He emphasized that threats should never be a form of political play in public life, and that differences of opinion should be resolved through dialogue and democratic procedures, never through violence.
Arrest in Wrocław
On Friday, January 30th, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Wrocław announced the arrest of a 51-year-old man from Wrocław who had threatened to burn Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski alive on social media. “Personally, I will burn you alive” – such a comment appeared under one of the minister’s posts on the X portal. Despite the anonymity of the account, the police quickly identified the resident of Wrocław.
Political Context
The threatening comment appeared under Gawkowski’s post on January 16th, in which he stated that Poland has an obligation to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in other EU countries. He referred to a clear ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union and announced the beginning of a process to change civil status document templates.
Weapons Found
The following day, police found eight Molotov cocktails and a Beretta pistol with ammunition in the man’s car. The 51-year-old man explained that he published the threatening post due to “emotions and frustration from imposing LGBT ideology on society.” He faces charges of making criminal threats, possessing weapons without permission, and producing gunpowder, with a potential prison sentence of up to eight years.
