Via the BBC: Poland’s former leader on trial
Poland’s last communist leader, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, has gone on trial accused of committing a crime by imposing martial law in 1981.Eight other former officials will also be tried for the clampdown against the opposition Solidarity movement, during which dozens of people were killed.
Gen Jaruzelski, who is now 84 and in poor health, says he had to act to prevent a Soviet invasion of Poland.
I must confess to some surprise that he is still alive–although I will further confess that I hadn’t given him much thought despite having had a great deal of interest in the Polish case during the time of communism’s collapse. I even wrote my senior honor’s thesis on the topic, but that was some time ago and I have hardly kept up an active research interest in the country.
Interestingly, this is the first trial linked to the communist era:
The trial, in Warsaw, marks the first time Poland has held its former communist leaders criminally responsible for imposing martial law.Immediately after the fall of communism in 1989, the new Solidarity government rejected calls for political retribution.
But in recent years moves to bring the senior communist party leaders to account for martial law have hastened.
I wonder what created the desire for trials.
September 12th, 2024 at 11:12 am
I believe the General Jaruzelski should be left alone. He did what was best for Poland considering circumstances.
When I was growing up in Poland, my country was known for close ties to Russia, now for close ties to United States.
Politics is a dirty business and I am old enough to know that this new friendship is not for “nothing”.
September 12th, 2024 at 12:55 pm
I’m just guessing here, but if I have to gues, this is my guess.
I think it’s part of a social trend we’ve seen in former Soviet satellites to further distance themselves from the Soviet years, draw a sharp line between their modern government and social system and what was imposed on them by the Soviets, and also to distance themselvs from Russia.
This latter point is important, as Russia has shown signs in recent years (and though Georgia is on my mind, it’s not the only example, even if the most egregious) of reverting to the bad old days – and the more Russia seeks to dominate Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, the more the states are going to assert themselves.
It’s possible that trying a guy like this – which has to be seen as symbolic, after all this time, and given his age – is an attempt to “rally ’round the flag” and energize the population to stay the course and not be intimidated by the 600-pound gorilla next door.