The motion was filed by Krzysztof Brejza, a member of the European Parliament from the ruling Civic Coalition (KO).
Lawmakers also voted to remove the immunity of former defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak in connection with the declassification of a military document.
The vote to lift Kaczyński’s immunity passed with 236 lawmakers in favor, 200 against, and three abstentions.
The decision allows for potential legal proceedings against the conservative leader.
The case stems from remarks Kaczyński made while testifying before a parliamentary committee investigating the use of Pegasus spyware.
During his testimony, he referred to Brejza as a “significant politician of the opposition” who “committed very serious and repugnant crimes.”
Brejza’s wife and legal representative, Dorota Brejza, has called these allegations “an outright lie,” saying that her husband has never been charged with any crime.
She argued that Kaczyński’s accusations were used as justification for spying on Brejza with Pegasus software.
Brejza, who was allegedly targeted with spyware while serving as the head of an opposition election campaign, stated that he intends to take Kaczyński to court.
“They combed through my entire life, downloaded 90,000 messages, thousands of emails, and hundreds of passwords,” he said, justifying his request to strip Kaczyński of immunity.
Kaczyński, responding to questions on Wednesday, accused the ruling coalition of using the Sejm as a political tool to strip opposition figures of immunity. He insisted that he had only stated what he knew in response to the committee’s questions.
Dorota Brejza also pointed out that Kaczyński has been involved in a civil dispute with her husband over similar accusations since 2022.
Ex-defense minister stripped of immunity
The Sejm also voted to remove the immunity of Mariusz Błaszczak, with 245 MPs in favor, 187 against, and six abstentions.
Błaszczak is under investigation by prosecutors over his decision to declassify sections of a military strategy document in 2023.
As defense minister, Błaszczak publicly revealed fragments of the classified military document “Warta,” which outlined Poland’s defense strategy in the event of a Russian invasion, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Citing the document, he accused the previous government, led by the Civic Platform (PO) party, of planning to withdraw Polish forces to the Vistula River in the event of an attack, effectively conceding half the country.
The release of the document triggered an investigation, with prosecutors arguing that Błaszczak exceeded his authority by declassifying materials without obtaining necessary approvals from the Chief of the General Staff or the president’s National Security Bureau.
Błaszczak defended his actions, stating that he had the right—and the obligation—to inform the public about defense plans that he claimed put Poland’s eastern regions at risk.
Kaczyński also characterized the legal case as a politically motivated operation designed to intimidate the opposition and likened it to tactics used during communist rule in Poland.
(rt/gs)
Sources: IAR, PAP