The District Court in Gdansk has dismissed an action brought by former president Lech Walesa against journalist Krzysztof Wyszkowski who had accused him of being a communist collaborator.

In November 2005, Wyszkowski publicly accused the Solidarity leader of being a communist agent operating under the codename “Bolek” in 1970s, a claim that was also included in a controversial biography about Walesa published two years ago.

Walesa took Wyszkowski to court, demanding an apology and 40,000 zloty (10,000 euro) fine, to be paid to a children‘s charity. The case has been in court three times. The court of first resort twice ruled in favour of Walesa, on the basis of a statement by the Institute of National Remembrance, which had ruled in 2000 that Walesa did not collaborate with the communist secret services.

Wyszkowski appealed from both rulings.

Judge Ursula Malak said that the verdict was based, not on the historical truth of whether Walesa collaborated with the communist secret services but merely on Wyszkowski’s right to free expression.

The lawyer acting on behalf of the former Solidarity leader Ewelina Wolańska called the verdict “bizarre” and said that the court had recognised that there was no evidence to prove that Walesa had collaborated.

Neither Krzysztof Wyszkowski or Lech Walesa appeared in court to hear the verdict. (mg/pg)