Pro-Nazi propaganda in Poland
In Poland, publications containing antisemitic content and pro-Nazi propaganda were being widely disseminated and sold in more than 30 online bookstores, in violation of Polish law prohibiting Holocaust denial. Together with the global law firm Dentons, The Lawfare Project initiated criminal and civil proceedings to stop the publication and distribution of these materials and to deter future violations.
In 2018, The Lawfare Project supported a lawsuit filed on behalf of Holocaust survivors Krystyna Budnicka and Michał Głowiński, along with Leszek Żukowski, a former member of the Polish Underground Army and a survivor of Nazi camps. The plaintiffs sought to prevent the sale of books authored by Nazi war criminal Leon Degrelle, which contained false statements about the rise of Nazism and blatant Nazi propaganda presented as “historical sources.”
The lawsuit aimed to compel the defendant, Andrzej Ryba, to cease the sale and distribution of these books, publish an apology, and pay monetary compensation to charities selected by the plaintiffs. The broader goal was to ensure the enforcement of Polish laws prohibiting Holocaust denial and the dissemination of Nazi propaganda.
Despite the overwhelming evidence presented, including Ryba’s public praise of Hitler during lectures, the Warsaw District Court dismissed the case. The court outrageously ruled that the books were protected as "historical sources" and found no proof that the defendant’s intent was to spread Nazi propaganda — even though it had previously refused to hear witness testimony supporting this claim.
In December 2023, The Lawfare Project and its counsel in Poland appealed the lower court’s decision to Poland’s Court of Appeals. The Lawfare Project condemned the ruling as a grave miscarriage of justice that would allow antisemitic speech and Holocaust denial to flourish unchecked throughout Poland.
Executive Director Brooke Goldstein criticized the ruling, stating, “This deeply flawed ruling will only allow antisemitic language to flourish unchecked throughout Poland. We cannot let this stand.”
Tragically, plaintiff Michał Głowiński passed away before the appeal could be filed, after the lower court judge repeatedly delayed issuing the written decision — a particularly egregious act given the plaintiffs' advanced ages.
The appeal challenges the lower court’s failure to uphold the plaintiffs’ rights to historical truth, dignity, and national identity, arguing that the books in question spread Holocaust denial and Nazi propaganda without appropriate editorial context or disclaimers. The Lawfare Project and its partners remain committed to pursuing justice and ensuring that Polish law is enforced to prevent the spread of antisemitic hate and Holocaust denial.