Police Condemn MP Mariusz Gosek's Post for Using Uniform for Political Purposes

The Polish Police issued an official statement on platform X, expressing firm opposition to the actions of MP Mariusz Gosek. The Law and Justice parliamentarian posted about a soldier who in 2023, while serving on the Polish-Belarusian border, shot a Syrian citizen. The text included an AI-generated graphic showing a man in a military uniform, handcuffed and escorted by two police officers in a courtroom. The uniformed services in their statement stressed that police officers did not detain or escort the suspect in this specific case, and the use of the uniform in such a context undermines the seriousness of the force. The principles of police apoliticality in Poland are regulated by the 1990 Police Act, which prohibits officers from belonging to political parties or manifesting views while performing official duties.MP Gosek in his post referred to a decision made by Tomasz Janeczek, the Deputy Prosecutor General for military affairs. According to the politician's account, the investigator allegedly ordered the withdrawal of the indictment against the soldier defending the border. The controversial illustration was likely intended to reinforce the message about alleged repression against border defenders but met with a swift rebuttal from the state institution. The police noted that the uniform demands respect and cannot be an element of political games. Under pressure from criticism and clear denial from the services, MP Mariusz Gosek decided to delete the post from his profile, though this did not silence the discussion about the boundaries of using public officials' images in disinformation and party campaigns. „We express firm opposition to the use of the police uniform in messages whose purpose is solely political.” — Polish PoliceThis event fits into a broader dispute over the handling of criminal cases concerning officers and soldiers operating in the border zone. The indictment in this case had already stirred emotions earlier, and the case of Prosecutor Janeczek further polarized the political environment. Experts emphasize that using images suggesting brutality of police actions against soldiers, especially when they are false, can lead to a decline in trust in law enforcement agencies. The services in their statement reminded that their role is strictly defined by legal regulations, and manipulating the image of the force for immediate political gains is unacceptable.