The law in question was passed by the Polish Senate in a 57-23 vote, with two abstentions. Apart from criminalizing the notion of Poland's complicity in World War II crimes, the legislation criminalizes denials of the killings of Poles by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in that period and outlaws Ukrainian nationalist ideology. The law is now pending the signature of Polish President Andrzej Duda.
The OSCE representative called on Duda to abstain from enacting the bill.
"I hope that to protect freedom of expression the law will be vetoed by the president," Desir added.
Earlier in the day, the Polish Foreign Ministry refuted the United States' and Israel's accusations that the new legislation limited the freedom of expression and restricted historical debates.
We are concerned draft legislation in Poland regarding crimes committed during the Holocaust could undermine free speech. We all must be careful not to inhibit discussion on the Holocaust. We encourage Poland to reevaluate the legislation in light of its potential impact. pic.twitter.com/4pnSrIZHKI
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) 1 февраля 2018 г.