Polish Editor Faces 23 Years for Publishing 66 Questions

Warsaw City Procurator filed felony charges against Adam Gmurczyk, the editor of a Polish socio-political monthly, Szczerbiec (shcherbyetz), because it published a translation of the pamphlet, 66 Questions and Answers on the Holocaust. This pamphlet was first published in the early-1980s by the Institute for Historical Review of Newport Beach, CA, and since 1994 is available on the Internet.

Trybuna reports that the charges, against Mr. Gmurczyk, evoked articles 272, 274 and 276 of the Polish Criminal Code, which deal with persecution and defamation of minorities and incitement of interethnic hatred. The cited articles carry a combined penalty of twenty three (23) years of imprisonment.

Gmurczyk was trained as a historian at the Catholic Theological Academy in Warsaw. Besides being editor of Szczerbiec, he is a leader of the National Rebirth of Poland (NRP) party. NRP is a Christian-conservative party of young intellectuals, which promotes ecology and return to pre-Vatican Council traditions and morals. It opposes trans-national capitalism and westernization of Poland.

In an interview with BBC's Warsaw correspondent Gmurczyk said: “We can not lionize our nation on somebody elses half-truths or lies.” Asked about the 66 Questions and Answers, he replied: “I defend the right of Polish readers to know about both sides of the Holocaust story.” Further he added: “In our translation, we carefully to removed all wording disparaging to any minority. I trust that as in the past Polish courts will drop the charges filed today as unsubstantiated.” Gmurczyk continued: “Today's “news” is one of many attempts of the present pro-communist regime to restrict freedom of speech in Poland.”

Mr. Gmurczyk learned first about today's filing of charges from a BBC correspondent, and then from reading the Trybuna, the daily organ of the ruling SDL party. He expects that in ten days he will be formally served with the court papers.

Szczerbiec is the most important of four publications in Poland which openly debate the accuracy of the Holocaust.

Adapted from: News Release 8/19/97 of the Polish Historical Society, POB 8024, Stamford, CT 06905