Polish police have arrested a 46-year-old man in Oborniki on charges of publicly inciting murder of senior government officials on the internet, according to government spokesman Adam Szłapka. The arrest represents the latest in a series of detentions linked to threats against Poland’s top politicians.
The suspect faces charges of inciting the murder and insulting Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty, and a TVP Info journalist, according to Katarzyna Sill-Szułczyńska, head of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Oborniki. Additional charges were brought for insulting MP Krzysztof Paszyk, former president Lech Wałęsa, and Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
The prosecutor confirmed to the Polish Press Agency that the man was charged on Tuesday and would be questioned in the capacity of a suspect. The arrest in Oborniki took place on Monday, with authorities moving swiftly after identifying the online threats.
Deputy PM: threats against officials “very widespread”
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the incident, emphasising that such threats are far from isolated cases. “There are very many threats against me, the prime minister, and other people holding the most important positions in the state. This is not a situation where some first piece of information appeared on Sunday and immediately there’s a great alarm. No. There is very much of this,” he told reporters.
According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, politicians receive threatening messages through both email and social media platforms. “We receive this either in email inboxes or in various posts on the internet. Unfortunately, there are very many calls for such behaviour,” he said.
The deputy prime minister stressed, however, that information received by security services on Sunday was assessed as significantly more serious than most similar cases. He noted that the reaction from Czech government representatives also indicated the gravity of the situation.
Sunday arrest over alleged assassination plot
The latest detention follows Sunday’s arrest of a 66-year-old man on Poland’s Lower Silesia region, suspected of planning an attack on Prime Minister Tusk and Deputy PM Kosiniak-Kamysz. Polish security services received intelligence about a possible assassination attempt, prompting an urgent meeting at the Internal Security Agency’s (ABW) Counter-Terrorism Centre involving representatives from police, the State Protection Service, and ABW.
According to media reports, the detained individual is linked to radical groups. He was transported to Warsaw for questioning by prosecutors.
Kosiniak-Kamysz defended the state’s response to such threats. “The state is up to the task. Detentions, protection – this is an absolute priority,” he said. The deputy PM also called for stronger action against online incitement to violence and hatred, stressing this was not censorship but preventing acts that could lead to tragic consequences.
He broadened the discussion to include widespread aggression and hate speech on social media affecting the entire population. “Essentially everyone in Poland experiences this. Children in schools experience this,” Kosiniak-Kamysz observed, reiterating his proposal to ban social media use for children and young people under 16. He noted that similar debates are taking place in other European countries.
What this means for Poles in Poland
The recent arrests highlight Poland’s growing focus on prosecuting online threats against public figures, with authorities taking a firmer stance on digital incitement to violence. Polish law criminalises both public incitement to commit crimes and insults against public officials, with penalties that can include imprisonment.
For ordinary citizens, the cases underscore that online speech threatening violence or containing serious insults can lead to criminal charges and arrest. Anyone who witnesses credible threats against individuals online can report them to police through standard channels or emergency lines. The government’s emphasis on tackling online hate suggests increased monitoring and prosecution of such offences in the coming months.
Parents should be aware of the deputy PM’s renewed call for restricting children’s access to social media, a debate likely to intensify in parliament. While no legislation has yet been proposed, similar measures are being discussed across Europe, potentially affecting how young people in Poland access digital platforms in future.
