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Trio acquitted over murder of Polish ex-PM and his wife

Three men acquitted over murder of Polish ex-PM and his wife

21:08, 22.11.2024
  em/pk;
Three men acquitted over murder of Polish ex-PM and his wife A Warsaw district court has acquitted three defendants over the notorious murders of communist-era Prime Minister Piotr Jaroszewicz and his wife 32 years ago.

A Warsaw district court has acquitted three defendants over the notorious murders of communist-era Prime Minister Piotr Jaroszewicz and his wife 32 years ago.

Piotr Jaroszewicz was the Prime Minister of the communist Poland from 1970 to 1980. Photo: PAP/Bolesław Miedza
Piotr Jaroszewicz was the Prime Minister of the communist Poland from 1970 to 1980. Photo: PAP/Bolesław Miedza

Podziel się:   Więcej
Jaroszewicz, who was premier from 1970 to 1980, and his wife Alicja were killed in their Warsaw home on the night of August 31 to September 1 in 1992, sending shockwaves across the country at the time.

The former prime minister was strangled by bandits who had tied a leather noose around his neck, while his wife was killed by a shot to the head from close range with her husband's rifle.

On Friday, the three suspects were declared not guilty due to inconsistencies and errors in the proceedings of the trial. The prosecutor’s office announced it would appeal against the decision.

"The prosecutor's office's errors and inconsistencies in the preparatory proceedings led to such a verdict," said Judge Stanisław Zdun as he announced the court's decision.

The suspects were named only as “Robert S.”, “Marcin B.” and “Dariusz S.” They were part of the so-called “karate gang” – a criminal group that committed dozens of robberies in the 1990s.

The prosecutor’s office accused Robert S. of strangling the former premier and shooting his wife, while Dariusz S. and Marcin B. were accused of being accomplices.

The trial of the three suspects before a district court in Warsaw lasted four years from the summer of 2020.

The prosecution sought a life sentence for Robert S., along with seven years and 5.5 years in prison for Dariusz S. and Marcin B., respectively. The defense called for acquittals.

The “karate gang” members are all graduates of the Higher School of Engineering in the city of Radom, south of Warsaw, and achieved considerable success as part of its Academic Sports Team.

They reportedly formed a criminal group because they saw no future for themselves in professional sports in Poland in the 1990s.