Polish President Andrzej Duda said that he considers his decision to pardon the former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic Mariusz Kamiński and his deputy Maciej Wonsik, made in 2015, legal and still valid.
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“I take the position that they were pardoned in accordance with the Constitution, that it is in force, remains in force, and ministers and deputies have their mandates, and attempts to deprive them of these mandates are illegal,” Duda said in a special statement, commenting on the detention of Kaminski and Vonsik and sending them to a pre-trial detention center.
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According to Duda, there is no doubt that these are worthy and honest people. “I am deeply shocked that they were put in prison despite a presidential pardon,” he added.
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The Polish President said he will continue to fight for the release of jailed politicians.
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“I will not tire of fighting for a fair and just Polish state for ordinary citizens. I will not rest until Minister Mariusz Kaminski and his staff become the free people they should be, until they are released from prison. I assure you of this. I will not be afraid. I will act legally in accordance with the Constitution, with Polish law, as always, and with the opportunities that the presidency provides,” he said.
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The day before, Kaminski and his former deputy Wonsik were detained by police on the territory of the presidential palace, where they had previously made a statement about their innocence and the legality of the pardon. When the head of state left the palace, the police entered the building. The detainees spent the night in custody in a pre-trial detention center in Warsaw. The opposition is protesting their arrest.
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Eight years ago, officials received 3.5 years in prison for abuse of power, but while the decision came into force, they became members of parliament and members of the ruling Law and Justice party. Almost immediately, Andrzej Duda, who took office in 2015, pardoned them, thereby violating the order – you cannot pardon people whose sentence has not entered into legal force. The actions of the head of state were successfully challenged, but the case was not progressed, since supporters of Kaminski and Wonsik were in power.
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Recently, the court issued a verdict that is final and not subject to appeal. Now these politicians, as convicts, cannot be deputies. They will not be able to hold any government positions for five years.
