In October, right‑wing activist Robert Bąkiewicz delivered a vitriolic speech in Warsaw, prompting the district prosecutor to open a case that has since been transferred to the regional office.
Speech at Warsaw rally
In October, Law and Justice organized an assembly in Warsaw under the slogan “STOP illegal immigration.” Among the speakers on Castle Square was Robert Bąkiewicz. The activist argued that “weeds must be pulled from Polish soil and napalm thrown on it so they never grow back.” He urged, “Let us take a scythe or a sword in one hand and go to battle, and hold the roses in the other.”
District prosecutor opens case
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw Śródmieście‑Północ, in connection with Bąkiewicz’s statements, took action on its own initiative. The investigation was opened under Article 255 § 2 of the Criminal Code, which deals with public incitement to hostility. The penalty is up to three years’ imprisonment. The case was then transferred to the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw.
Regional prosecutor takes over
According to Gazeta.pl, in December the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw took over the case. Investigators have not yet disclosed details. “The prosecutor’s office has an action plan. We will inform the public of significant findings,” briefed PR spokesperson Mateusz Martyniuk.
A representative of the regional prosecutor explained that, among other reasons, the matter interests public opinion, and that the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office already handles many cases, prompting the escalation to a higher level.
Career of Robert Bąkiewicz
Robert Bąkiewicz is a former president of the Association Marsz Niepodległości. In October 2023 he ran for a seat in the Sejm from the Law and Justice list (as a candidate of Sovereign Poland), but was unsuccessful. In recent months he has been involved in the so‑called Border Defence Movement and is also the head of the Association of the Movement of Independence March.
Last week the National Institute of Freedom ordered the Bąkiewicz association to return funding of more than 380,000 PLN, including interest. “All the actions referred to in these materials were repeatedly monitored, analyzed and approved in accordance with applicable legal provisions,” Robert Bąkiewicz replied in a post on the X platform, indicating that the accusations against the association are “unfounded.”