Key facts
- A Polish court will decide Wednesday on the custody of a man suspected of plotting an attack on the prime minister.
A Polish court will decide on Wednesday whether to keep in custody a 66-year-old man suspected of planning an attack on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. Prosecutors allege the man stockpiled explosives and sought to recruit others for his plans, facing charges that include plotting to overthrow state authorities.
The case highlights heightened security concerns in Poland due to political polarization and its proximity to the war in Ukraine, with potential implications for political stability and public safety.
A Polish court is set to rule on Wednesday on whether to keep in custody a 66-year-old man suspected of planning an attack on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. The suspect, identified as Krzysztof N. under Polish privacy law, was detained on Sunday.
Prosecutors on Tuesday charged the man with nine offenses, the most serious being plotting to forcibly overthrow state authorities using explosives he had stockpiled. Spokesperson Piotr Skiba stated that if found guilty of this charge, the suspect faces a prison sentence of 2 to 15 years. The man has not admitted to the alleged offenses and has refused to provide an explanation.
Additional charges stem from online recordings, including promoting an ideology advocating the violent seizure of power in Poland, promoting war, and inciting crimes based on nationality, ethnicity, race, or political views. Skiba indicated that the suspect was seeking to recruit individuals for his plans and had formed a group of several hundred people, according to a recording reviewed by investigators. The suspect also reportedly criticized politicians from previous governments.
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