The Supreme Court overturned the verdict handed down in the 1930s “Brest Trial” against anti-remediation leaders Centrolew. Judge: The cassation turned out to be justified

The Supreme Court acquitted Wincenty Witos and nine other historic PSL and PPS leaders convicted in the political “Brest Trial” in the 1930s. The convictions of the courts of both agencies in this case in 1932-33 were overturned.

The previous Ombudsman, Adam Bodnar, appealed the case in 2020; today’s PSL appealed many times for the full acquittal of those convicted.

The appeal has been found to be well founded and deserves consideration

– said the rapporteur of this case, Judge Eugeniusz Wildowicz.

Sanitation repression

The pre-war political “Brest Trial” convicted opposition leaders Centrolew, including historic PSL leader Wincenty Witos. They were accused of preparing a coup. The Brest Trial was a result of the repressive actions taken by Marshal Józef Piłsudski against the opposition in 1930. These actions were his response to the increasing activity of parties of the so-called Centrolew – an anti-health coalition formed in 1929, consisting of: the Polish Socialist Party, the Polish People’s Party “Wyzwolenie”, the Polish People’s Party “Piast”, the Peasant Party and the National Workers’ Party.

On the night of September 9 to 10, 1930, the military police and the police arrested several opposition politicians. Finally, the indictment drawn up by the prosecutor’s office related to 11 parliamentarians imprisoned in Brest. The defendants included six PPS members: Herman Lieberman, Norbert Barlicki, Adam Pragier, Stanisław Dubois, Adam Ciołkosz and Mieczysław Mastek, and five PPS members: Wincenty Witos, Władysław Kiernik, Kazimierz Bagiński, Józef Putek and Adolf Sawicki.

Brest process

The trial in Brest began on October 26, 1931 before the District Court in Warsaw. More than 50 hearings were held. On January 13, 1932, the verdicts were passed. Dubois, Ciołkosz, Mastek, Pragier and Putek were sentenced to three years in prison, Lieberman, Barlicki and Kiernik to two and a half years, Bagiński to two years and Witos to one and a half years. Sawicki was acquitted.

Later, two appeal hearings were held – in February and July 1933. The pre-war Supreme Court – the first time – in May 1933 referred the case to the Court of Appeal for re-examination, and the second time, in October 1933, decided to to enforce.

The amnesty of President Władysław Raczkiewicz, which in 1939 covered all convicts during the war, did not mean their full rehabilitation and formal acquittal.

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Mon/PAP