EU Parliament strips immunity from scandal-hit Polish MEP photo

The European Parliament has voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Polish lawmaker Grzegorz Braun, a controversial figure known for a series of high-profile incidents, including the destruction of Ukrainian and EU flags and statements denying the Holocaust.

According to Polish media, the vote took place after 11:00, with members of the European Parliament approving two motions to remove immunity from Braun, who represents the Confederation of the Polish Crown party. The move follows a request from Poland’s prosecutor’s office in connection with two separate cases: the destruction of the flags of Ukraine, the European Union and LGBT+ symbols inside the Sejm, and the denial of genocide crimes committed by Nazi Germany.

The matter had earlier been reviewed by the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), which unanimously recommended lifting Braun’s immunity. This marks the third attempt to strip him of parliamentary protection. Previous votes in the European Parliament addressed separate allegations, including the burning of Hanukkah candles in the Sejm and an incident involving the violation of the physical integrity of a gynaecologist in Olesnica.

Braun has also drawn attention for other actions, including attempting what he described as a “citizen’s arrest” of a gynaecologist, burning an EU flag in Katowice earlier this spring, and tearing down a Ukrainian flag in Biała Podlaska.

By Tamilla Hasanova