Press Releases: Recent Legislation in Poland

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Press Statement

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

February 6, 2018


The United States is disappointed that the President of Poland has signed legislation that would impose criminal penalties for attributing Nazi crimes to the Polish state. We understand this law will be referred to Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal. Enactment of this law adversely affects freedom of speech and academic inquiry.

The United States reaffirms that terms like “Polish death camps” are painful and misleading. Such historical inaccuracies affect Poland, our strong ally, and must be combatted in ways that protect fundamental freedoms. We believe that open debate, scholarship, and education are the best means of countering misleading speech.