End of the trial by ¯ulczyk on the alleged insult of the President of the Republic of Poland. Publishes a closing speech

In social media, ¯ulczyk thanked Krzysztof Nowiński for representing, and Michał Rusinek for his expertise and appearing in court as a witness. Rusinek is a literary scholar, writer, translator, former secretary of Wisława Szymborska.

The case concerned the writer’s entry about Andrzej Duda. “I have just learned that the District Prosecutor’s Office of Warsaw Śródmieście Północ has filed an indictment against me under article 135 of the Criminal Code, that is, of insulting the head of state, to the District Court of Warsaw,” Żulczyk informed in March last year. It’s about his words from November 2020. At that time, the writer referred to Andrzej Duda’s position on the American presidential elections. The president then congratulated Joe Biden on his “successful campaign”. He also wrote that he was waiting for Biden’s nomination by the Electoral College. Żulczyk wrote then, inter alia, “Joe Biden is the 46th president of the US. Andrzej Duda is a retard.”

Jakub Żulczyk in the closing speech: It does not matter if President Duda is wise more or wise less

Now Jakub ¯ulczyk, waiting for the verdict, publishes the content of his final speech. He pleaded not guilty and pointed out that the case in which he is accused has several dimensions. He said:

A large part of the public considers today’s trial to be a judgment over President Duda’s intellect and his independence in exercising power. I would like to cut myself off from such opinions and deliberations at this point. It is not a secret my, to put it mildly, my critical attitude towards the current government in Poland, while the real dangers posed by the precedent of my accusation go far beyond the person of Andrzej Duda. It does not matter to this case whether President Duda is wiser more or wise less.

“What is important is the ability to criticize the government, to express objection. What should we do if the government breaks our moral standards, if it stops using the categories of common sense, as is the case with Polish-American relations over the last year? when the authority behaves badly, stupidly, when the authority is lying? Can the authority instruct us on how to criticize it? ” – Żulczyk asked later and continued:

From what I can see, President Duda’s supporters, referring to my case, criticize me mainly from the point of view of ‘being well mannered’. ‘It is not appropriate’, ‘it is not possible’, ‘it is below all standards’, say voters supporting Duda, and even the president himself when asked about me during one of the interviews. Maybe it’s not right, maybe it’s sub-standard. But what when the very idea of ​​’good manners’, ‘respect’ becomes a tool for gagging opinions? And should broadly understood good manners be the subject of criminal proceedings?

The writer also expressed the conviction that in Poland “the government plays against citizens with marked cards”, and that MPs, ministers, journalists sympathizing with and subsidized by the authorities can say anything with immunities, protection, and money of state-owned companies. In his opinion, in a similar situation, a citizen does not have the same opportunities. Finishing, he said:

Standing in court for the words I wrote on Facebook, I feel like a subject, like a petitioner, like a member of the dark people who only have to worship power, because that’s what power is to be worshiped. No, in the democratic society we started to become some time ago and which we are still becoming, power is for us. It is to represent us and help us. And we have the right – and even we should – react when this power works against our (and also our own) interests. Even at the expense of a bon-tone, savoir vivre, nice Polish and good manners.

The verdict is to be delivered on January 10.