The Justice Ministry is calling for the case against a communist official be re-tried for the 1983 murder of Grzegorz Przemyk.

The Justice Ministry has appealed for cassation of a verdict which declared the Przemyk murder case to be discontinued due to expiration. If granted, communist functionary Ireneusz K, who is accused of being one murdering the young man, faces life in jail.

Grzegorz Przemyk was the son of a well-known freedom movement activist and poet Barbada Sadowska. In 1983, under communist rule, Grzegorz was beaten to death by communist functionaries. He was 19 years old and celebrating his high school finals, when arrested, taken to the police headquarters and beaten to death.

The murders were never punished. In 1999, one of Przemyk's killers was sentenced to prison, but due to health reason he did not serve his term. In December last year, the other functionary suspected of being guilty of Przemyk's death was still on trial. But court ruled that the case had expired and the alleged killer was let free.

Now Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski says former communist militia functionary Ireneusz K.'s crime has not expired: 'In May 1983, Grzegorz Przemyk was beaten in a cruel and savage way by functionaries of communist military police, while they were on duty. There is no doubt Ireneusz K. was one of the functionaries,' he said.

It was a communist crime and as such cannot expire, Justice Minister emphasized. The ministry is also to investigate why the prosecutor who accused Ireneusz K., agreed with the court that the case should be discontinued. (jn)