KKE: Hands Off the Communists of Poland — Protest at the Embassy of Poland in Athens

On 17/03/23, a delegation of the International Relations Section of the CC of the KKE, led by the Party’s MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos, made a demarche to the Polish Embassy in Athens, protesting against the escalation of the criminalization of communist ideology and action by the Polish government through the vehicle of the recent revision of the Criminal Code, which is due to be activated in the coming months.

In Solidarity with the Communist Party of Poland and Against Escalating Anti-Communism!

The Communist Party of Sweden (SKP) condemns the anti-communist and anti-democratic legislative changes which are set to enter into force in Poland on March 14. 

 

With the impending changes to the penal code, promoting a communist “totalitarian state system” will be punishable by up to three years in prison, and the same will apply to the spreading, selling or possession of texts or other material, or the carrying of communist symbols, with the same aforementioned aim of promoting communism. In addition, the new legislation equates communism with nazism and fascism. 

Poland's communists blast governmental policy on refugees

“The Polish government's policy towards refugees failed and resulted in the death of at least a dozen people” points out the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) in a statement concerning the ongoing refugee crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. 

 

“A government that is unable to resolve this crisis in a peaceful way should resign” adds the Communist Party, underlining that the foreign policy of Poland must change.

The KPP stresses out that “it shouldn't be forgotten that Poland, as a NATO member-state, had an instrumental role in the tragic situation affected by war, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan” and adds: “The refugees hope to reach Western European countries through Poland. These people often flee from Islamic fundamentalism, imperialism or the lack of prospects in their home country. Many migrants are Kurds who have become victims of Turkism imperialism in Syria and Iraq. Some have successfully fought against the Islamic State but, now, the U.S. has handed them over to Erdogan's regime which is occupying part of Syria's territory and carries out air strikes in northern Iraq”.

EU Commission: An accomplice in Polish government's effort to ban the Communist Party

Once again the European Union provocatively turns a blind eye to anti-communist persecutions that are taking place in its member-states. 

 

Two months ago, EU Commission's Vice President Vera Jourová, answering a question submitted by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MEP Kostas Papadakis, had actually justified the despicable anti-communist legislation of the Slovakian government (read here). 

KKE: Démarche against the attempt to ban the Communist Party of Poland

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) made a démarche to the European Commission representation in Athens and the Polish embassy in Athens, against the new attempt to ban the Communist Party of Poland at the request of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Polish government. 

In the démarche delivered by the KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis to the European Commission, it is noted: "The attempt of the Polish government to ban the CP of Poland as well as the methodical distortion of history are unacceptable. The EU also bears huge responsibilities, since the equation of the fascists - Nazis in the past and the present with those who fought against Nazism is an EU direction contained in anti-communist resolutions and declarations. This is a stance that encourages the action of the fascist-Nazi criminal formations". 

Polish government's plan to outlaw the Communist Party shall not pass!

By Nikos Mottas.

It's been a long time since Poland, under the far-right government of Andrzej Duda, is driven into a very dangerous, anti-democratic path. With the EU's tolerance, or even encouragement, the authorities of Poland have unleased a persistent “witch-hunt” against the country's communists.

We have many times referred to the persecutions and legal proceedings against the Communist Party (KPP) and its newspaper “Bzrask”. Communist and Workers' Parties across Europe and the world, such as the KKE, have undertaken numerous initiatives in the international forums (e.g. EU Parliament) about these anti-communist persecutions and restrictions imposed by the Polish government. 

Polish communists strongly condemn abortion ban ruling

“Forcing women to give birth to terminally ill, deformed children, incapable of having an independent and conscious life is a crime”, points out the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) commenting on the recent controversial ruling by the country's constitutional court which banned almost all abortions.

According to the reactionary decision, abortions carried out when the fetus is malformed, which accounted for 98% of legal terminations last year, are outlawed. Although fewer than 2,000 legal abortions are carried out each year in Poland, it is estimated than up to 200,000 terminations are either performed illegally, or abroad.

Veteran Polish communist Kazimierz Jarzębowski dies

The Communist Party of Poland (KPP) and the country's workers movement mourn the death of veteran communist and long-time activist Kazimierz Jarzębowski. Born in January 1923, Jarzebowski began his communist activity before the Second World War. 

In January 1941, on his 18th birthday, he fled to the USSR in order to support the anti-fascist struggle. He returned to occupied Poland a few months later, in June, and was arrested by the Nazis for his anti-fascist activities, including helping Soviet prisoners of war. Subsequently Kazimierz Jarzębowski was deported as a forced labourer to Germany. 

Hands Off Polish communists! Demarche by KKE and KNE to the Embassy of Poland in Athens

On Monday 12th October, a delegation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and its youth wing KNE, headed by Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos, MEP of the Party, visited the Embassy of Poland in Athens and held a protest in solidarity with the Communist Party of Poland and its newspaper “Bzrask”.

Both the CP of Poland and the editorial board of “Bzrask” have been the target of persecutions by the Polish authorities under the accusation of “publishing propaganda in favor of totalitarian regime”. The Katowice Court has announced that it will issue a decision on Tuesday 13th October 2020. 

Poland: The legal struggle of the Communist Party continues, as Court imposes fine

The legal struggle of the Communist Party of Poland and its newspaper "Brzask" continues, with a new verdict issued by the a District Court imposing a fine. 

Here is a statement by the Party's President Krzysztof Szwej:

On March 17, the new verdict was announced regarding the long trial of the editors of "Brzask", the newspaper of the Communist Party of Poland and its website accused of promoting a totalitarian state system.

Hands Off the Communists of Poland: Protests across the world against persecutions in Poland

Protest at the Embassy of Poland in Athens. Source: 902.gr

With a protest at the Embassy of Poland in Athens, members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and its youth wing KNE expressed their solidarity to the persecuted cadres of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) and the editors of “Brzask” newspaper. 

With a banner reading “Hands Off The Communists Of Poland”, the KKE-KNE members gathered outside the Embassy, demanding the ending of the persecutions that the Polish authorities have unleashed against the country’s communists. KKE MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos and Paschalis Kagiannis, member of the CC of KNE, met with the Embassy’s minister councillor Jolanta Wójcik-Niedzielska handing over to her a note of protest. 

Poland's right-wing government continues the repression against the Communist Party

The persecution against the Communist Party of Poland continues. The trial against the members of the editorial board of the party's newspaper "Brzask" is scheduled to restart. The first court session will be held on the 3rd of March. 

The trial continues for over 4 years despite the acquittal verdict of the court issued last year. The appeal of the prosecutor was a basis for restarting the trial. For the last 4 years, the prosecutors' office is directly subordinated to the government. This trial is a part of a campaign made by the state authorities to illegalize the Communist Party of Poland. 

Poland's right-wing government honors WW2 Nazi collaborators

Polish officials and members of far-right groups attended the
event in Warsaw.

It has become a tradition for the bourgeois governments in the Baltic countries and Poland to pay tribute to various militant groups which collaborated with the Nazis in the Second World War. 

This time, it was the turn for the right-wing government of the ruling "Law and Justice" party in Poland to honor the veterans of the so-called "Holy Cross Mountains Brigade", an underground force that collaborated with Nazi German forces against the communists towards the end of the war. 

Poland's Communist Party (KPP) held its Fifth Congress in Bytom

On 21st of July, the day before the 75th anniversary of establishment of the Peoples’ Poland, the 5th Congress of the Communist Party of Poland was held in Bytom. It was attended by several dozen delegates of the regional structures of the Party and representative of the Communist Party of Greece, member of the European Parliament – Lefteris Nikolaou. Several other foreign parties i.a. from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Denmark, Norway, Czech Republic and Lithuania, sent their letters for the Congress.

Solidarität mit Polnischen Kommunisten: Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) denounces the anti-communist actions of the Polish government

In a declaration issued on June 11, 2019 in Vienna, the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) strongly denounces the escalation of anti-communist policies and the distortion of history implemented by the government of Poland and expresses solidarity with the Communist Party of Poland (KPP). 

Read the statement, in both English and German languages, below:

Stop anti-communist persecution in Poland - Statement by the Communist Party (KPP)

Anti-communist persecution in Poland intensifies as the state authorities attempt to criminalize the communist activity by changes of the penal code. This is an element of the anti-communist campaign aimed at banning the Communist Party of Poland. 

The legal changes are also a part of the persecution such as a trial of the members of the CPP and the „Brzask" editorial board, lasting for about 3,5 years, despite the fact that the court on January declared them as innocent. At the same time the Polish authorities raise other obstacles to the communist activity as well as falsifying the history and destroying anything connected with communism and the Peoples' Poland.

Poland: Communist Party cadres, "Brzask" editors, acquitted by the court

On January 18th, the the District Court in Dąbrowa Górnicza acquitted members of the editorial office of the Communist Party of Poland's "Brzask" newspaper and the party website from the accusation of "promoting the totalitarian state system".

After a thorough analysis of the case, the court decided that the allegations formulated by the prosecutor's office do not indicate a crime. 

According to the verdict, one can not rule on propagating totalitarianism on the basis of sentences taken out of the context and fragments of articles. In the justification of the verdict, the court also stated that it was necessary to distinguish propagating a totalitarian state system from propagating communist views.

Actual solidarity with Poland's Communist Party expressed by KKE MP Stavros Tassos

KKE MP Stavros Tassos (left) with Beata Karoń, member of the
Secretariat of the CC of KPP and Krzysztof Szwej, President of KPP. 

The court hearing procedure of the anticommunist trial against members of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) and its newspaper "Brzask" has been concluded, 902.gr portal reported earlier today. 

The defendants- members of the Communist Party- firmly rebutted the false accusations regarding the supposed promotion of "totalitarian ideologies" and defended socialism, the Soviet Union and the Communist Parties against the falsification of history. 

KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis in Poland: Stop the persecution of Polish communists!

A delegation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) group at the European Parliament, headed by Kostas Papadakis, MEP and also member of the Party's Central Committee, visited Poland in order to express solidarity and support with the persecuted members of "Brzask" newspaper. "Brzask" is the official gazette of the Communist Party of Poland and members of its editorial board have been persecuted by the authorities under the unfounded allegations of "public promotion of a totalitarian system".

Hands Off Polish communists: The working class in solidarity with the CP of Poland

Resolution by the European Communist Initiative regarding the anti-communist persecutions in Poland: 

On December 7th 2018 the 3-year anti-communist trial against members and cadres of the CP of Poland will resume. 

The Polish authorities, escalating the anticommunist campaign, encouraged by the fact that the EU recognizes anticommunism as its official ideology, have proceeded to despicable persecutions against the editorial board of Brzask magazine, carrying out even investigations in the houses of cadres of the Party.