Polish prosecutors charge man over alleged plot to kill Tusk and defence minister
Prosecutors say the 66-year-old suspect had homemade explosives at his flat after his arrest on Sunday, 11 October, and that he recruited armed people for the alleged attack.
The charges
Polish prosecutors have charged a 66-year-old man with nine offences over an alleged plan to kill Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Under Polish privacy law he is identified only as Krzysztof N. The most serious count is conspiring to kill government officials with explosives, according to the prosecutors' spokesman as reported by Reuters. The list also includes a plan to overthrow state authorities by force. At a press conference on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, the spokesman set out the charges and the evidence found so far. The man has not admitted the acts and has declined to explain them to investigators.
Explosives found at the flat
Authorities found about a dozen objects at the man's home that investigators established were homemade explosive materials. Reports differ on the count, with some putting it at a dozen and others at about ten. The prosecutors' spokesman described one device, a stun grenade containing metal balls, which he said could work in a way similar to fragmentation grenades. He also said the man had reportedly recruited other people who possessed weapons for the alleged attack. The suspect has not explained the explosives. The investigation is set to establish all circumstances, including the role of the people prosecutors say were involved in preparing the attack.
Arrest and a second suspect
The man was arrested on Sunday, 11 October, after Polish security services raised the alarm, and the authorities called the threat extremely serious. Le Figaro reported that the arrest followed a warning from intelligence services to the interior ministry. The anti-terrorism centre of the ABW internal security agency was called in on Sunday to hold an emergency meeting about possible attempts on the prime minister's life. A second suspect, a 46-year-old man, was detained on 12 October in the same case. NOS reports that he allegedly urged people online to kill prominent politicians, including Czarzasty, the speaker of the lower house. Tusk confirmed the arrest on X and praised the police for a swift and decisive intervention.
- Suspect arrested after security services raised the alarm; ABW anti-terrorism centre called in for an emergency meeting
- 46-year-old man detained, allegedly urging online killings of prominent politicians
- Prosecutors announce nine charges and the explosive objects found at the suspect's home
Court and official response
The man is due to appear before a court on 14 October, according to NOS. Reports differ on the possible sentence, with several putting it at two to 15 years and NOS giving two to ten years. A spokesman for the minister coordinating the special services said the case was being handled with the utmost seriousness. He described threats and alarming messages growing over months and years, and said there was a strong probability that these threats could actually be carried out. Several reports place the case against a recent wave of knife attacks in Poland as a wider backdrop, without linking those attacks to the plot. Poland is a NATO and EU member on the bloc's eastern flank.
