If immunity is lifted, the Public Prosecution Service intends to file multiple charges against Confederation MP Grzegorz Braun, including breach of internal peace and insulting the Sejm, Poland’s Justice Ministry told PAP. The Sejm received a motion to lift Braun’s immunity, and the Marshal of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, said he had submitted documents on this issue to the Committee on the Rules, Deputies and Immunities.
Braun faces some charges!
According to the Justice Ministry press service, should immunity be waived, prosecutors plan to charge Grzegorz Braun with offenses related to, among other things, injuring the physical integrity of Łukasz Szumowski in connection with his official duties, using force to enforce a behavior, and defaming Szumowski by stating in the media that he was under alcohol influence, potentially harming his public reputation. The plan also includes property damage such as harm to a Christmas tree, damage to sound equipment, violations of domestic peace by staying inside the German Historical Institute after hours, and insults directed at groups within Sejm grounds and at a religious object.
Under the law, the request to waive immunity is submitted by the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General to the Speaker of the Sejm. The ministry noted that the document was sent to the Sejm on Wednesday.
Request for waiver of immunity
On Thursday morning, Sejm Chairman Szymon Hołownia announced that the motion to lift Braun’s immunity is under consideration.
Hołownia added that he had signed documents on the matter and had sent them to the Committee on Immunities (Committee of Rules, Delegates’ Affairs and Immunities) with the intention that a vote would come soon.
There is also the subject of Bosak
During a meeting with students at the 1st High School, Bolesław Limanowski in Warsaw was asked for his view on the left’s motion to dismiss Krzysztof Bosak from the position of deputy chairman of the Sejm.
The vote on that motion is expected to take place in the same meeting next week. Hołownia said he had mixed feelings about the conclusion. He acknowledged Bosak’s intelligence and quick learning, noting that Bosak is a lively debater who often challenges arguments. Yet he added that Grzegorz Braun cannot have representation in the Sejm Presidium and that if PiS does not want a representative there, it would be better if at least Bosak were present. He stressed that Braun’s situation remains a problem for the Confederation.
Hołownia also said he expects a clearer and more decisive position from Confederation MPs, because it is hard to see Krzysztof Bosak as a representative of Braun in the Presidium.
Braun is not allowed to have representatives in the Sejm Presidium. Politics are at play, and there are only a few days left before the upcoming Sejm meeting. Talks, pressure, and attempts at persuasion will continue, and the outcome remains uncertain. Hołownia warned that he might not vote in favor of the motion, and he noted that neither side has absolute control over the Presidium.
He reminded that the Left Club filed a motion to dismiss Krzysztof Bosak as deputy chairman of the Sejm, arguing that he allowed Braun to speak after the incident and enabled an anti-Semitic speech. The Left pointed out that Deputy Marshal Bosak did not respond strongly enough, which prompted Hołownia to take over proceedings.
A fire extinguisher and a Hanukkah, but also statements against Szumowski
The events surrounding Braun escalated after he used a powder fire extinguisher to douse Hanukkah candles lit during a Sejm ceremony on December 12 last year. He later appeared on the Sejm stage as the meeting was chaired by Deputy Marshal Bosak. Hołownia then took control of the meeting, excluding Braun and announcing plans to file an official complaint with the prosecutor for disrupting a religious ceremony. He also announced that the Presidium had sanctioned Braun by cutting half of his salary for three months and his full allowance for six months.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Adam Bodnar stated that he discussed the case with National Prosecutor Dariusz Barski. The Justice Ministry head said he had received a substantial document detailing the proceedings against Grzegorz Braun.
There were many such incidents. Some were public knowledge, but others faded from attention.
Reading the situation, Bodnar suggested there had been a lack of determination and consistency in identifying and prosecuting Braun across various cases. He recalled two critical cases: the destruction of a symbolic Christmas tree erected by the Polish Judges’ Association and an attack during a lecture by a German history professor at the History Meeting House, incidents that clearly indicated prohibited acts may have occurred.
The Justice Ministry official noted that these matters included actions involving former Health Ministers Łukasz Szumowski and Adam Niedzielski, as well as statements about Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
From his perspective, it seemed there was insufficient resolve in pursuing all related cases against Braun, he added. Two previous cases stood out as especially important: the Christmas tree incident and the disruption around a German professor’s lecture, suggesting that sensitive limits may have been crossed in public conduct.
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There were headlines about unusual moments in the Sejm as Braun sought to discuss weapons and other provocations. He was later excluded from two parliamentary committees, and debates around the so-called United Hanukkah Front and other terms drew attention to the broader political dynamics at play.
Source: wPolityce