Artykuł przedstawia przebieg śledztwa i procesu liderów Konfederacji Polski Niepodległej. Postępowanie wobec nich toczyło się w latach 1980–1982, najpierw przed Sądem Okręgowym w Warszawie, a po wprowadzeniu stanu wojennego przed Sądem Warszawskiego Okręgu Wojskowego. Opierając się na materiałach archiwalnych, opisano wyjątkowy jak na realia PRL proces polityczny. Aresztowanie 23 września 1980 roku Leszka Moczulskiego, a w kolejnych tygodniach wielu członków kierownictwa KPN, zapoczątkowało falę represji skierowaną wobec KPN. W momencie powstawania masowego ruchu społecznego Solidarności władze komunistyczne zdecydowały się na uderzenie w KPN, by organizacja ta nie miała wpływu na kształt związku. Na natychmiastową pacyfikację „sił kontrrewolucyjnych” w PRL naciskało między innymi moskiewskie kierownictwo, które zachęcało polskie kierownictwo do szybkiej rozprawy nie tylko z KPN. Władze PRL zastanawiały się wówczas także nad wytoczeniem procesu członkom KSS „KOR”, ale z obawy przed masowymi protestami z tego zrezygnowały. W przypadku KPN uznano, że protesty będą na tyle skromne, że proces polityczny będzie mógł się odbyć. W artykule przeanalizowano, w jaki sposób liderzy KPN bronili się na sali rozpraw, z jaką łatwością dezawuowali zarzuty oparte na wątpliwym materiale dowodowym. Innym opisywanym kontekstem są nie tylko krajowe, ale także zagraniczne echa procesu. Wybrany temat pozwolił ukazać na konkretnym przykładzie, jak w dobie rewolucji Solidarności wyglądał proces uniezależniania się sądownictwa od nacisków partyjnych.

Abstract

The article presents the course of the investigation and trial of the leaders of the Confederation of Independent Poland. Proceedings against them were held in 1980–1982, first before the District Court in Warsaw, and after the imposition of martial law, before the Court of the Warsaw Military District. Basing on archival materials, a political process quite unique for the realities of the Polish People’s Republic has been described. The arrest of Leszek Moczulski on 23 September 1980, and in the following weeks the arrest of many members of the Confederation of Independent Poland leadership, initiated a wave of repressions against the Confederation. When the mass social movement of “Solidarity” was established, the communist authorities decided to attack the Confederation so that it would not influence the activities of the union. The leadership in Moscow, among others, pressed for the immediate pacification of the “counter-revolutionary forces” in the Polish People’s Republic, and encouraged the Polish leadership to quickly crack down on the Confederation. The authorities of the Polish People’s Republic also considered bringing members of the Committee for Social Self-Defense “KOR” to trial, but for fear of mass protests, ultimately had to resign. In the case of the Confederation of Independent Poland, it was decided that the protests would be too insignificant for a political trial to take place. The article describes how the leaders of the Congress defended themselves in the courtroom and how they easily dismissed allegations based on questionable evidence. In addition, the article also describes not only domestic but also foreign echoes of the process. All in all, the text presents the process of autonomisation of the judiciary from the party pressure in the era of the “Solidarity” revolution.

Keywords: Confederation of Independent Poland, opposition in the Polish People’s Republic, Solidarity, judiciary, human rights

The article presents the course of the investigation and trial of the leaders of the Confederation of Independent Poland. Proceedings against them were held in 1980–1982, first before the District Court in Warsaw, and after the imposition of martial law, before the Court of the Warsaw Military District. Basing on archival materials, a political process quite unique for the realities of the Polish People’s Republic has been described. The arrest of Leszek Moczulski on 23 September 1980, and in the following weeks the arrest of many members of the Confederation of Independent Poland leadership, initiated a wave of repressions against the Confederation. When the mass social movement of “Solidarity” was established, the communist authorities decided to attack the Confederation so that it would not influence the activities of the union. The leadership in Moscow, among others, pressed for the immediate pacification of the “counter-revolutionary forces” in the Polish People’s Republic, and encouraged the Polish leadership to quickly crack down on the Confederation. The authorities of the Polish People’s Republic also considered bringing members of the Committee for Social Self-Defense “KOR” to trial, but for fear of mass protests, ultimately had to resign. In the case of the Confederation of Independent Poland, it was decided that the protests would be too insignificant for a political trial to take place. The article describes how the leaders of the Congress defended themselves in the courtroom and how they easily dismissed allegations based on questionable evidence. In addition, the article also describes not only domestic but also foreign echoes of the process. All in all, the text presents the process of autonomisation of the judiciary from the party pressure in the era of the “Solidarity” revolution.