English Section

Polish court jails suspect accused of threatening deputy PM

30.01.2026 18:15
A Polish court has ordered the three-month pretrial detention of a 50-year-old man accused of making death threats against Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, prosecutors said on Friday.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski.Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

The suspect, identified only as Krzysztof K. under Polish privacy laws, is also accused of illegally possessing firearms, ammunition and Molotov cocktails, as well as manufacturing explosive material.

Karolina Stocka-Mycek, a spokeswoman for the district prosecutor’s office in the southwestern city of Wrocław, said the man was arrested there on January 19 with the involvement of officers from Poland’s Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime.

Prosecutors say the suspect threatened Gawkowski with death in a post on the X social media platform on January 16, writing that he would "burn him alive," Stocka-Mycek said.

The post was made in response to an entry by Gawkowski saying that Poland is obligated to recognise same-sex marriages legally concluded in other European Union countries, citing a ruling by the EU’s top court.

The suspect has denied the charges, prosecutors said.

He told investigators he did not intend to intimidate the minister, claimed he was unaware that permits were required to possess weapons and ammunition, and said he made explosive material "for fun."

If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP