Poland softens Holocaust Law
Attempt to outlaw criticism sparks international fury
Poland is watering down its controversial law that criminalizes any suggestion the nation was responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War II, five months after the legislation caused international outrage.
Lawmakers passed an amendment on Wednesday to eliminate the prospect of jail time for convicted offenders and President Andrzej Duda has already signed it into law. To “protect Poland’s honor,” it remains a crime subject to civil suits and financial penalties, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.
“This law and a certain type of shock was needed,” Morawiecki told parliament, presenting the amendment using an accelerated procedure. Those who falsely accuse Poles of such crimes “deserve to go to jail,” but Poland now realizes it can’t impose such rules internationally, he said.
The so-called Holocaust Law added to a string of international conflicts sparked by the nationalist government’s agenda. Poland is in an escalating dispute with the European Union over the independence of its courts and opposition to taking in Muslim refugees, risking political sanctions as well as a sharp reduction in aid.
The law had outraged Israel, which saw it as an “attempt to challenge the historical truth” and muzzle elderly Jews who survived the Shoah from sharing their stories. The State Department said the rules were a threat to free speech.