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Polish Parliament Could Amend Controversial Holocaust Law - Foreign Minister

WARSAW (Sputnik) - The Sejm, the lower house of the Polish parliament, could make amendments to the law that criminalizes statements accusing Poland of complicity in the Holocaust, as the bill affects Warsaw's talks with its international partners, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said Saturday.
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"There is a need to define our position because there is a permanent mistrust and concern over this situation. It is a problem for relations with the United States and Israel and we should agree that a certain move should be made here… We should agree that this issue has an impact on our talks. We can act differently here through the Sejm, which is independent and can amend the law," Czaputowicz said as quoted by the RMF FM broadcaster.

The diplomat added that Duda had vetoed the bill but then sent it to the Constitutional Court for consideration.

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The law that criminalizes any accusations against Poland of complicity in war crimes during World War II, including the Holocaust, as well as any denials that Ukrainians killed Poles during the same period, and banished the Ukrainian nationalist ideology, officially took effect on March 1 after being approved by the Polish parliament and then signed by Polish President Andrzej Duda.

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Before the bill was passed, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that it could have repercussions for freedom of speech, and Poland’s ties with the United States and Israel.

The Israeli leadership, including the country's prime minister, president, and the Foreign Ministry, expressed their disagreement with the law — which, according to them, distorted the historical truth — and demanded that it be reviewed.

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