President Nawrocki issued three clemency decisions on Monday
Officials confirmed the recipients as Piotr Staruchowicz, known as "Staruch," a leading figure in Legia Warsaw's ultras scene.
He had been banned from football matches for two years after being found on stadium fencing while leading supporters during an away match in Lublin in March 2025.
Nawrocki himself admitted during his presidential campaign to having taken part in football hooligan fights as a young man, adding to the attention the pardon has drawn.
The second was Adam Borowski, a former communist-era opposition activist.
He was sentenced to six months in prison for defaming lawyer and MP Roman Giertych, and officials attributed his pardon to his age, declining health and past contributions to Poland's democratic transition.
The third was Piotr Pytel, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Munich for murder.
Polish prosecutors believe he did not commit the crime, and he was granted conditional early release with a five-year probation period and judicial supervision.
According to a deputy head of the presidential chancellery, the president has now pardoned seven people since taking office, while refusing clemency in five other cases.
The pardon of Staruchowicz drew sharp criticism from senior government figures.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said it showed "what kind of Poland President Nawrocki dreams of."
Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk accused the president of hypocrisy, contrasting his praise for police officers with his decision to pardon a man whose case, he suggested, amounted to an insult to them.
Presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz rejected the criticism, telling reporters the president "does not need to justify" his use of clemency, as each case is assessed individually.
"The president has the right to make decisions based on the provisions of the Polish constitution. He is entitled to do so, and the government should stay out of the president's prerogatives," Leśkiewicz said.
President Nawrocki "will not be frightened by tweets, threats or attempts at manipulation" from ministers he accused of routinely breaching the constitution, the spokesman added.
Leśkiewicz acknowledged that Staruchowicz had previously been convicted of robbery and assaulting a footballer, but said the pardon related solely to the 2025 stadium ban, which the president considered unjust.
The pardon was granted directly under Article 139 of the Polish constitution, bypassing the standard procedure that requires a formal application and a court opinion.
(ał)
Source: IAR, PAP