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Polish President Karol Nawrocki pardons three, controversy over fan leader
President Karol Nawrocki exercised the presidential right of pardon on three individuals. Adam Borowski was granted clemency for a defamation conviction, with the decision citing humanitarian grounds, his advanced age, deteriorating health and his contributions to Poland’s democratic transformation. Piotr Pytel, sentenced to life imprisonment for a 2004 murder‑robbery in Munich, received a conditional early release after a favorable opinion from the prison service and the prosecutor’s office. The most publicised case involved Piotr Staruch Staruchowicz, a prominent Legia Warsaw ultras leader, whose two‑year stadium ban for occupying a non‑public area during a 2025 match was lifted; officials described the offence as “incidental” and noted a positive social assessment.
The pardons have drawn extensive commentary. Foreign outlets in Romania, Bosnia and other countries reported on the Staruch decision. Within Poland, government spokesman Adam Szłapka called the moves “absurd” and suggested a personal connection between the president and the fan leader. Former President Lech Wałęsa publicly refused to recognise Nawrocki’s presidency, labeling it a fraud. Critics argue the use of this prerogative undermines the authority of the justice system, while the president’s office defends it as an exercise of constitutional powers.
Overall, the three pardons have sparked a debate over the scope of presidential clemency, the criteria for granting it, and the political implications of favouring high‑profile individuals.
Entities
Adam Borowski · Do Rzeczy · Karol Nawrocki · Mateusz Kotecki · Mateusz Socha · Piotr Pytel · Piotr Staruch (Staruchowicz) · Piotr Staruch Staruchowicz · Piotr Staruchowicz · Poland
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 9 SOURCES] Piotr “Staruch” Staruchowicz received a pardon that lifted his stadium ban and erased his conviction. wiadomosci.gazeta.pl · razydzisiaj.pl · www.rp.pl · jastrzabpost.pl · www.sport.pl · +2 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Piotr Pytel was granted conditional early release from a life sentence for murder and robbery, with a five‑year probation period. www.fakt.pl · www.rp.pl · jastrzabpost.pl · www.sport.pl · warszawawpigulce.pl · +2 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] State Secretary Mateusz Kotecki announced the pardons on behalf of the President. www.fakt.pl · www.rp.pl · jastrzabpost.pl · www.sport.pl · warszawawpigulce.pl · +1 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] Presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz said the president does not need to justify the use of the pardon prerogative. wiadomosci.gazeta.pl · razydzisiaj.pl · dziennik-polityczny.com · www.rp.pl · jastrzabpost.pl · +2 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The pardons have been criticized by politician Roman Giertych.
- [● 13 SOURCES] President Nawrocki has used the pardon power seven times during his term, denying it in five other cases. wiadomosci.gazeta.pl · www.fakt.pl · razydzisiaj.pl · dziennik-polityczny.com · www.rp.pl · +5 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] President Karol Nawrocki granted pardons to three individuals on 3 August 2026. wiadomosci.gazeta.pl · www.fakt.pl · razydzisiaj.pl · dziennik-polityczny.com · www.rp.pl · +5 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] Adam Borowski was pardoned, with his prison sentence for defamation waived on humanitarian grounds. www.fakt.pl · www.rp.pl · jastrzabpost.pl · www.sport.pl · warszawawpigulce.pl · +1 more