Nine communist-era dignitaries, including former President Wojciech Jaruzelski, have been charged for the imposition of martial law.
Krysia Kolosowska reports
Nine communist-era dignitaries, including former President Wojciech Jaruzelski, have been charged with communist crimes for the imposition of martial law in a crack-down on the independent Solidarity trade union in 1981.
The indictment act against general Wojciech Jaruzelski and eight other communist-era leaders was brought in by the National Remembrance Institute, which investigates Nazi and communist crimes. Eighty four year old general Jaruzelski, who headed the Military National Salvation Council created on December 13, 1981, is accused of leading a criminal organization of an armed character. He faces up to 10 years behind bars.
Dr Andrzej Drogon of the National Remembrance Institute, which investigated the case, explains why it is so important to prosecute martial law authors.
“This is an obligation towards the nation, the Polish state as well as to all those who were harmed, suffered injustice and humiliation during the period of martial law.”
Stanislaw Platek, a miner wounded during the martial law pacification of a protest in the Wujek colliery, in southern Poland, welcomes the indictment act though it is delayed by over 20 years. He is convinced that along with martial law authors, those who ordered the police to open fire at miners at Wujek should be brought to responsibility.
“This would mark an end of the past epoch, though I am aware that today a moral judgment rather than concrete punishment can be expected. But it will be very important to those who were harmed by martial law.”
Martial law claimed about 100 lives – miners killed at the Wujek colliery, protesters from the western city of Lubin, priests and opposition activists. It also was a tragedy for tens of thousands of people who were persecuted, interned and forced to emigrate. That’s why historian and eurodeputy, Professor Wojciech Roszkowski says the indictment act against the authors of martial law is not a revenge but an act of long awaited justice.
“Martial law was, according to most historians and lawyers, introduced with violation of the law that was in force at that time. It cost many people their life, resulted in enforced emigration of many Poles and brought about a series damage to the national economy. So, decisions, like the introduction of martial law must be considered not only from the political or purely historical point of view but also from a legal point of view. Of course, it’s not revenge. It is simply an attempt to exercise justice, which is important to the society because it creates and strengthens moral standards.”
Some analysts believe that it will not be easy actually to prosecute the authors of the 1981 martial law. Generals Czeslaw Kiszczak and Wojciech Jaruzelski, who are standing trial over the bloody pacification of the Wujek colliery miners have been constantly sending sick leave notes to court, delaying the whole procedure.