Romuald Cieslak, a police unit leader who ordered shooting at miners protesting against 1981 martial law, gave himself in to the police last night. Cieslak was sentenced to 11 years behind bars  on Thursday for commanding the pacification of the Wujek coal mine after martial law was imposed to crush Solidarity. Fourteen former riot policemen received sentences between 2  ½ years and 3 years.

Romuald Cieslak came to a police precinct in the southern city of Katowice a few hours after search for him had been organized.

The relatives of the killed and wounded miners welcomed the verdict by signing the national anthem. “It was worth waiting. The verdict is just and corresponds to what they had done”, mother of a killed miner said.

Nine miners were killed and several dozen wounded during the police pacification of two collieries at the start of martial law, which came to symbolize the brutality of martial law.

Two earlier trials of the policemen cleared them due to lack of evidence.