Polish prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into far-right MEP Grzegorz Braun after he questioned the historical truth of the Auschwitz concentration camp and its gas chambers, calling them “fake.” The ultra-nationalist politician, known for a history of provocative acts, stirred fresh controversy during a Thursday interview with the conservative Radio Wnet, where he dismissed the existence of gas chambers at the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, southern Poland, and accused the state-run Auschwitz Museum of promoting a “pseudo-historical narrative.” Following Braun’s comments, the interviewer ended the conversation, saying: “There are certain limits.” On Monday, the Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation confirmed that it had launched proceedings against Braun for publicly and falsely denying the genocide committed by Nazi Germany at Auschwitz. The investigation falls under Article 55 of Poland’s Act on the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), which criminalizes Holocaust denial and carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. (…) Braun leads the far-right Confederation of the Polish Crown party and ran in this year’s Polish presidential election. Despite being considered an extremist outsider, he finished fourth in what many viewed as a surprisingly strong result for the ultra-nationalist politician. Polish authorities had long sought to prosecute the controversial politician, but his election to the European Parliament in 2023 granted him immunity. In May, MEPs voted to strip him of that privilege, paving the way for Polish officials to prosecute him.
via tvpworld: Far-right Polish MEP faces criminal probe for calling Auschwitz gas chambers ‘fake’