Prosecutor’s Office Moves to Lift Arkadiusz Myrcha’s Immunity

The Prosecutor General has submitted a police request to the Sejm to strip Deputy Justice Minister Arkadiusz Myrcha of his parliamentary immunity over allegations of violating the election silence period.

Procedural background of the immunity request

The Prosecutor General’s spokesperson confirmed on Friday that a police request regarding Arkadiusz Myrcha has reached the Sejm. The Prosecutor General acts strictly as an intermediary in this process, as he holds the sole authority to submit such motions, despite the matter involving a minor offense rather than a formal criminal prosecution.

Myrcha admits to election silence breach

Arkadiusz Myrcha, Deputy Minister of Justice, addressed the matter on social media, stating he does not intend to evade responsibility for the violation. He pledged to submit a formal declaration to the Speaker of the Sejm to waive his immunity as soon as possible, acknowledging his actions as a personal error.

Details of the alleged violation

The incident stems from May of last year, during the election silence preceding the presidential election. A graphic encouraging votes for a specific candidate appeared on Myrcha’s Facebook profile during the restricted period. Myrcha later removed the post, attributing the incident to a technical error in loading images.

Public reporting and legal consequences

Following the post, PiS MP Dariusz Matecki reported the violation to the police and the NASK. National Police authorities confirmed the report and initiated investigative actions. Under the Polish Election Code, violating the election silence—which prohibits campaigning, rallies, and the distribution of materials 24 hours before and during voting—is punishable by a fine.