Poland Opens Investigation Into Far-Right MEP Grzegorz Braun Over Auschwitz Gas Chamber Denial
Polish authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into far-right European Parliament lawmaker Grzegorz Braun following his incendiary claim denying the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, according to a report from the Associated Press on Friday.
During an interview with Poland’s Wnet radio on Thursday, Braun stated that “such a thing as Auschwitz with its gas chambers is unfortunately a fake.” The interviewer abruptly ended the discussion after the remark.
The statement sparked widespread outrage across Poland. Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned Braun’s comments as “a disgrace,” urging, “We must do everything so that no one in the world associates Poland with such people, such faces, and such actions.”
Piotr Antoni Skiba, spokesperson for the Warsaw district prosecutor’s office, confirmed that prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into Braun’s remarks to determine whether they constitute denial of Nazi crimes—a criminal offense under Polish law.
Separately, Piotr Cywinski, director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, announced he will file an independent complaint. He stressed, “Denying the fact that gas chambers existed is not only a manifestation of antisemitism and an ideology of hatred; in Poland it is also a crime.”
Braun, a figure long associated with far-right views and conspiracy theories, has a track record of antisemitic provocations. In 2023, he drew international condemnation after discharging a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles in the Polish parliament. In response, parliament voted to strip him of immunity from prosecution.
In April 2024, he was charged with multiple offenses, including insulting individuals on religious grounds. Despite this, Braun secured a seat in the European Parliament in last year’s election and even ran for president earlier this year, gaining more than 6% of the vote in the first round.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, located in Nazi-occupied southern Poland during World War II, was the epicenter of the Holocaust. Approximately 1.1 million people were murdered there—primarily Jews, but also Poles, Roma, Soviet POWs, LGBTQ individuals, and others.
Poland has strict laws prohibiting Holocaust denial and the public denial of Nazi crimes, which are classified as criminal acts. If found guilty, Braun could face legal consequences.
