Polish Justice Minister Adam Bodnar has filed a defamation lawsuit against former Law and Justice (PiS) Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, following the conservative politician’s allegation that Bodnar “has blood on his hands” in connection with the murder of a Polish soldier by a migrant earlier this year.
The dispute centers around remarks made by Morawiecki after the incident on May 28, when a Polish soldier was stabbed by a migrant attempting to breach the steel barrier near the Polish-Belarusian border at Dubicze Cerkiewne.
Reported on at the time by Remix News, the soldier, later named Private Mateusz Sitek, died a few days later in the hospital.
The former prime minister criticized Bodnar at a press conference, claiming Bodnar was preoccupied with legal action against soldiers rather than defending Poland’s borders.
“Dear soldiers, dear officers. I thank you. Thank you on behalf of the Republic of Poland and all Poles, for your brave attitude, and for not hesitating to defend us, our borders, despite what the current government is doing. And what are they doing? Prosecutor Bodnar, who has blood on his hands because of what happened, appoints a team. A team to catch soldiers’ behavior that could lead to arrest,” Morawiecki said in the aftermath of the attack.
Bodnar’s attorney, Dr. Kamil Rudol, argued that Morawiecki’s comment unjustly accused the minister of responsibility for the soldier’s death, thereby damaging his professional and personal reputation. In response, the lawsuit, filed in Warsaw’s District Court, seeks a formal apology from Morawiecki and a donation of 10,000 PLN (€2,300) to the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity.
Dr. Rudol, along with Bodnar’s legal team, condemned the remarks as sensationalist and stigmatizing, arguing that they risk undermining public trust in the government. In a formal statement, Bodnar’s lawyers noted the emotional harm and reputational damage caused by Morawiecki’s statement, highlighting the personal impact of such remarks on their client.
“There can be no tolerance for proclaiming such radical theses without a shred of evidence, regardless of whether the person whose actions are being criticized is a politician or not,” the statement by Bodnar’s legal team noted.
The full statement for which Bodnar wants to be published by Morawiecki reads:
“I apologize to Mr. Adam Bodnar for using the phrase on June 6, 2024, in my statement, which commented on the stabbing of a Polish soldier on the Polish-Belarusian border at the end of May 2024: ‘Prosecutor Bodnar has blood on his hands.’ Such a depiction of Mr. Adam Bodnar violates His honor and good name because it suggests his participation in stabbing a Polish soldier. By using completely inappropriate statements, I grossly and illegally violated the honor and good name of Mr. Adam Bodnar.”
The court will begin by reviewing procedural aspects before determining a timeline for the full hearing.
