Police arrest 9 people for hate speech following attack in Kraków
Polish police have arrested nine people suspected of publishing concerning content online following the tragedy at Kraków's Market Square. Among those arrested is a Ukrainian citizen.
Police arrest 9 people for hate speech following attack in Kraków
Nine people have been arrested by police in connection with publishing concerning content online — announced Karolina Gałecka, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior and Administration, on the X platform. According to bankier.pl, those arrested face various charges for posts glorifying the perpetrator, inciting hatred and murder.
Among those arrested is a Ukrainian citizen, against whom deportation is planned. The remainder are Polish citizens. Senior Constable Michał Pietraszko from the Press Office of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime emphasised that "messages appearing online are designed to cause chaos, panic and disinformation". The officer explained that creators of such content often exploit tragedy to gain prominence on social media, publishing fabricated material without awareness of the consequences.
The officer reminded that anonymity online is illusory and authors of such posts must reckon with serious legal consequences. The services ensure an immediate response to every case of this type.
On Saturday, a masked 24-year-old perpetrator drove a car onto Kraków's Market Square and opened fire on people present there. After an exchange of fire with police, he was injured and apprehended. In his car, police found four weapons — two AR-15 rifles and two pistols — as well as approximately half a thousand rounds of ammunition. As a result of the attack, six people were killed and sixteen were injured. The attacker died on Monday morning in hospital. At the perpetrator's home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, police found the bodies of three people — his parents and his 21-year-old sister.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)