In Poland, the Speaker of the Sejm spoke out against anti-Ukrainian rhetoric
Włodzimierz Czazasty, Marshal of the Polish Sejm, condemned the spread of anti-Ukrainian sentiment in the country. He emphasized that hate speech can have serious and dangerous consequences.
According to the politician, aggressive rhetoric and hostility toward Ukrainians can lead not only to an escalation of social conflicts but also to tragic incidents.
Czazasty began his speech by listing numerous cases of physical assaults or verbal abuse directed at Ukrainians that have taken place over the past three months in various regions of Poland. Among the incidents listed, he specifically mentioned the brutal beating in Warsaw of 16-year-old Ukrainian Artem, whom he met with personally afterward; a video was also shown in parliament depicting verbal abuse by a 54-year-old Polish man directed at two 11-year-old Ukrainian girls on a bus in Bielsko-Biała.
He noted that calls for the “complete Polonization of Ukrainian children” or demands that all Ukrainian citizens sign “anti-Bandera declarations” are becoming increasingly common in the Polish political arena.
“I want this to be stated unequivocally in the Sejm: the witch hunt against Ukrainians is ongoing. I condemn this anti-Ukrainian behavior here, in the Polish Sejm,” emphasized the speaker of the lower house of the Polish parliament.
Chazhasty blamed a number of influential Polish politicians for stoking anti-Ukrainian sentiment, including MEP Grzegorz Braun, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, members of the right-wing conservative “Law and Justice” party (PiS) Przemysław Czarnek and Dariusz Matecki, as well as the leaders of the nationalist “Confederation” party, Sławomir Mentzen and Krzysztof Bosak.
“When it comes to other nations, one must act like a human being, not a political hyena,” Chazhasty emphasized.
According to him, inciting hatred can have dangerous consequences.
“First comes a harsh word, then a beating, then a knife, and then death,” the Marshal of the Sejm stressed.
He made these remarks on Wednesday at a press conference in the Polish parliament, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
Ukraine has responded to Poland’s draft law on the OUN-UPA.
As a reminder, the head of the Polish President’s Office was added to the Myrotvorets database.
Zbigniew Bogucki, the head of the Polish President’s Office, who has been added to the Myrotvorets database, stated that Poles should be awarded a peace prize for the level of assistance they have provided to Ukrainian refugees.
