Wiesenthal Center Harshly Condemn Attack Yesterday by Radical Right Wing Polish MP on Prof. Jan Grabowski to Prevent His Lecture at the German Historical Institute in Warsaw

JERUSALEM – The Simon Wiesenthal Center today issued a harsh condemnation of the attack yesterday by a member of parliament,Grzegorz Braun, from the radical right Polish Kinfediracja party, against University of Ottawa professor Jan Grabowski, which prevented him from delivering a lecture at the German HistoricalInstitute in Warsaw on the subject of "The (growing) Polish problem with the History of the Holocaust.

Braun grabbed the microphone being used for the lecture, knocked over loudspeakers, and after occupying the rostrum, announced "thelecture is over".

Before the lecture, it had been criticized by media outlets under the influence of the ruling "Law and Justice" political party andby state institutions associated with them.

According to the Wiesenthal Center Director of Eastern European Affairs, Holocaust historian Dr. Efraim Zuroff, "This incident is anoutrageous attack not only on freedom of speech, but also on the accuracy of the narrative of the Shoah in Poland. Ever since the Law and Justice party have come to power, they have promoted anarrative which whitewashes any mention of Polish complicity in Holocaust crimes."

"Professor Jan Grabowski is one of the most important historians who has assumed responsibility to combat the false narrativepromoted by the current Polish government. His historical research has played a vital role in combatting the rampant Holocaust distortion promoted by the Polish government and ultra-right wingorganizations."

For additional information please contact the Israel Office of the Wiesenthal Center: Tel: 972-50-721-4156, follow the Center on Facebook,or @simonwiesenthal and @EZurofffor news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations,UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).