Piotr Pytel released after 21 years as justice minister grants break in life sentence

Release after two decades

Piotr Pytel left the prison in Rzeszów on Monday afternoon after Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek ordered a temporary break in his life sentence. The 56-year-old had spent over 21 years behind bars for a murder he insists he did not commit. He was informed of his release just half an hour before walking out. "I still can't quite believe I'm here," he told reporters the next day, describing the world outside as "a different world" after 22 years.

“I'm still in shock, overwhelmed by reality, the changes. 22 years is a real leap. It's a chasm between what I remember of this city and what it is today. It's a different world.”

The Munich murder and conviction

The case dates back to March 2004, when Ecaterina I. was killed during a robbery in Munich. Pytel and Tomasz W., nicknamed "Lis", had planned the robbery together, but Pytel maintained he waited at a bus stop 400 metres away and never entered the victim's apartment. German prosecutors relied on phone location data and testimony from a fellow inmate. In April 2006, a Munich court sentenced Pytel to life imprisonment. He was transferred to Poland in 2009 to serve his sentence.

A confession ignored

A breakthrough came in 2010 when Polish authorities arrested Tomasz W. in a separate case. He confessed to the murder, stating he acted alone. He was extradited to Germany, convicted, and served a sentence of nine years and three months. Despite this, German courts repeatedly refused to reopen Pytel's case. Three pardon requests were rejected by then-President Andrzej Duda.

“All the cards are on the president's table and he must make the decision.”

The pardon procedure

In April 2026, Justice Minister Żurek initiated a new pardon procedure from office. On Monday, he announced the break in sentence, citing humanitarian grounds and the disparity between German and Polish law: in Germany, parole eligibility arises after 15 years, while in Poland it is 30 years. Pytel has already served over 21 years.

“The break in the execution of the sentence does not mean acquittal nor does it prejudge a pardon. The final decision on the right of pardon belongs to the President of the Republic of Poland.”

Presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz called the minister's move "the first decision of the justice minister that can be praised" and said President Karol Nawrocki will examine the case once documents arrive.