President Nawrocki sent an annex to the report on the Military Intelligence Service (WSI) to parliamentary speakers for review, prompting warnings from the Sejm Speaker about compromising state secrets.
President Submits WSI Report Annex
President Karol Nawrocki has forwarded the annex to the report on the liquidation of the Military Intelligence Service (WSI) to the Speakers of the Sejm and Senate for their opinion, announced by Presidential Spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz last Thursday.
Leśkiewicz emphasized that the president submitted an anonymized supplement, consistent with the 2008 Constitutional Tribunal ruling, and that the Speakers’ opinions are not binding but are a “formal element of the process aimed at declassifying and making public the Annex to the Report on the liquidation of the WSI.”
Sejm Speaker Warns Against Disclosure
Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty admitted he had not yet reviewed the annex to the report regarding the WSI’s liquidation, stressing that its publication would violate state secrets.
Czarzasty stated he is considering whether to take any position on the annex at all, adding that he will review it next week after returning from Copenhagen, where he will meet with EU parliament speakers.
Concerns Over Agent Safety and State Credibility
Czarzasty assessed that the declassification process is flawed, arguing that anonymizing names is insufficient, as other countries’ intelligence services could identify individuals based on context. He emphasized the serious implications for agents and collaborators.
He pointed to past incidents, such as the deaths of Arab students who collaborated with the WSI after the initial report’s publication, and warned that other nations would not take a country seriously if it reveals such reports.
Breach of State Reason and Political Concerns
Czarzasty declared that publishing the annex, regardless of its content, would be a breach of state secrets, stating that no country does this and it undermines Poland’s national interest, holding President Nawrocki responsible for initiating this course of action.
He also expressed doubt that the annex hasn’t been amended over the years and whether its publication won’t trigger another political battle.
Speaker Considers Abstaining from Opinion
Czarzasty stated he is considering whether to issue an opinion on the annex, noting he needs to consult with legal experts due to the seriousness of the matter and questioning whether to involve the Sejm Speaker’s office in the process.
Background on WSI and Previous Report
The WSI, a special service operating from 1991-2006, faced numerous allegations of irregularities, including a lack of vetting from the PRL era, tolerance of espionage for Russia, involvement in the FOZZ affair, and illegal arms trading. The WSI was liquidated by the PiS government in autumn 2006.
In February 2007, President Lech Kaczyński published a report on the WSI’s verification, signed by Antoni Macierewicz. Investigations were launched based on the report, but most were dismissed.
Constitutional Tribunal Ruling and Subsequent Stance
In 2008, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that President Kaczyński’s publication of the report in 2007 was legal. However, it deemed the denial of the right to be heard, access to case files, and the right to appeal to individuals named in the report before its publication unconstitutional.
Following the ruling, President Kaczyński did not publish the completed annex, stating that it contained too many interpretations instead of facts. Presidents Bronisław Komorowski and Andrzej Duda maintained this position, while President Nawrocki’s associates indicated he would decide on potential declassification.