Polish Activists Arrested and Charged with Multiple Offences

The news in Polish

1. zatrzymać
   powstrzymać kogoś przed dalszym działaniem, ruchu, uciekaniem itp. ↩︎
2. przemoc  (f.)
   stosowanie siły fizycznej lub psychicznej w celu wymuszenia czegoś na kimś ↩︎
3. zarzut  (m.)
   twierdzenie, że ktoś popełnił przestępstwo lub inne nieprzyzwoite działanie ↩︎
4. podejrzany
   osoba, którą uważa się za mogącą popełnić przestępstwo ↩︎
5. śledztwo  (n.)
   badanie, zbieranie informacji w celu rozwiązania przestępstwa lub innej sprawy ↩︎
6. dowód  (m.)
   dane, materiały potwierdzające prawdziwość jakiejś tezy lub zdarzenia ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Who are the two members of the group that were arrested?

Question 2: What are Wojciech O. and Marcin O. accused of doing online?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
zatrzymać	to detain
przemoc  (f.)	violence
zarzut  (m.)	charge
podejrzany	suspect
śledztwo  (n.)	investigation
dowód  (m.)	evidence

Read the full story

In a recent development within Poland, two prominent figures of the movement Rodacy Kamraci, Wojciech O., known as “Jaszczur”, and Marcin O., referred to as “Ludwiczek”, have been detained by authorities. Following their arrest, the duo faces numerous charges related to advocating violence and other crimes reported by the Warsaw-Praga District Prosecutor’s Office.

On Wednesday, the arrest was executed on the order of the Warsaw-Praga Prosecutor’s Office amidst ongoing investigations into their activities. Wojciech O. is facing an extensive list of 78 charges, while Marcin O. is confronted with 64. Both men have denied any wrongdoing and refrained from providing statements.

The accusations involve endorsing violence due to political affiliations, promoting and approving criminal acts, and insulting groups based on nationality or religious beliefs. Moreover, the investigation into the activities of the duo incorporates a significant amount of evidence, including the examination of over 1,700 video recordings, covering more than 3,000 hours, and spanning nearly a decade from 2015 to 2025.

In response to the severity of the allegations, a court sanctioned a two-month detention period for the two men to prevent potential interference with the investigation. This measure underscores the seriousness with which the authorities are treating the case.

The investigation, which is considered comprehensive, is addressing multiple incidents across various locations in Poland, consolidating more than a dozen separate cases. Notably, the inquiry is also scrutinizing the funding mechanisms behind such activities.

Furthermore, a separate but related arrest was made involving Mirosław R., associated with the Polish Yellow Vests. He is facing 13 charges but was granted conditional release under police supervision.

The Rodacy Kamraci group, known for its nationalistic and far-right ideologies, reportedly conducted live-streamed discussions and organized events that allegedly included content glorifying violence and other controversial topics. While their original YouTube channel was shut down for violating community guidelines, the content continues to circulate online, sparking significant public concern.

This crackdown follows complaints filed by the Centre for Monitoring Racist and Xenophobic Behaviors and the Jewish Association Czulent, which prompted the initiation of a unified investigation.

Info: Polish Learner News is a service from Let’s Learn Polish, a language school dedicated to teaching the Polish language. We offer various types of online courses designed to guide learners on how to learn Polish effectively.