WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today released the following statement:

“Poland is a stalwart NATO ally, so I’m concerned about the apparent backsliding in Poland’s commitment to the democratic principles of free speech and an independent judiciary.  Most recently, I was dismayed by the Polish government’s decision to enact a censorship law that punishes those who remind us that some Poles participated in Nazi war crimes during the Holocaust. 

“Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II were the victims of the most horrific crime against humanity in modern history. Three million Jews were murdered in Poland.  While there certainly were a number of courageous Polish people who protected their fellow Jewish citizens at great personal risk, outlawing factual references to those Poles who collaborated in the Nazi horror whitewashes deeply painful truths that must never be forgotten. 

“This censorship law is particularly alarming amidst recent actions by the Polish government to undermine its constitutional court, control media outlets, and retaliate against non-governmental organizations. I urge the Polish government to recommit to our shared democratic values and overturn this harmful legislation.”

 

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