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. 

New anti-communist law in Poland: Intervention of the KKE at the EU Parliament

The MEPs of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) denounced the new escalation of anti-communist bans and persecution in Poland, focusing on the changes in the country’s Criminal Code. MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos addressed a question to the European Commission.

The Polish government, by revising the Criminal Code, punishes with up to three years’ imprisonment any person who, among other things, “publicly promotes” or “produces, records or imports, possesses, sells, offers, stores, keeps, presents, transfers or displays in printed, electronic or any other form (...) communist symbols and ideas”. 

Poland's shameful attempt to erase historical memory - Four Red Army memorials demolished

It's been a long time since the authorities of Poland began their attempt to erase historical memory, by slandering socialism-communism and destroying Soviet-era monuments. In this effort, the bourgeois authorities don't hesitate to demolish memorials dedicated to the heroic Red Army soldiers who fought against the monster of Nazism in the Second World War. 

On Thursday, within the framework of Russo-phobia and in an attempt to equate capitalist Russia with the Soviet Union, four more monuments in different locations across Poland were destroyed. 

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”.

KKE: Statement for the refugee crisis in Belarus-EU borders

The KKE calls the people of Poland and Belarus, as well as the other people of the region, to turn their backs on nationalism and racism, to strengthen the solidarity with the people who are victims of imperialist wars and exploitation, points out a statement of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) concerning the dramatic situation in the Polish-Belarusian border.

More specifically, the statement (here in Greek) issued by the Press Bureau of the CC of the KKE reads:

Belarus-Poland standoff: The lives of refugees are not a tool in imperialist antagonisms

In a statement about the tension in the Belarusian-Polish border the Secretariat of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) underlines that "the lives of refugees are not a tool in imperialist antagonisms" and calls for an end to the imperialist interventions which are the root of refugee-migrant crisis, The statement reads:

"The tension on the Belarusian border with Poland is intensifying every day at the expense of thousands of stranded migrants and refugees who are treated like a tennis-ball in the EU – USA – NATO geopolitical confrontation with Belarus and Russia.

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.

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.

KKE intervention at the European Parliament: "Hands Οff Polish and Ukrainian Communists"

Kostas Papadakis, MEP of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), made an intervention on the anti-communist prosecutions in Poland and Ukraine in a debate with Commissioner Vĕra Jourová in the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE), denouncing the Commissioner's unacceptable answers to the relevant questions of the Group of the KKE in the European Parliamentand EU's hypocritical interest in “human rights”.

In his speech, the MEP of the KKE stressed the following:

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.

SHAME! Polish authorities destroy memorial dedicated to communist hero Nikos Beloyannis

In another episode of anti-communist barbarity, the authorities of Poland removed and destroyed a memorial dedicated to the heroic Greek communist Nikos Beloyannis in the city of Wroclaw. 

The memorial, which had been erected by Greek political refugees next to the 20th Elementary School at 143 Stabłowicka street, was removed and destroyed according to the  2016 anti-communist law which prohibits "the promotion of communism or other totalitarian regimes". 

It must be reminded that, a few months ago, Polish authorities had removed the plaque of a memorial dedicated to the legendary Democratic Army of Greece (1946-1949) in Dziwnów.