Polish neo-Nazis distribute list of "race traitors" through US-based website

Right-wing extremists in Poland have added two recently-elected Polish MPs to their list of “race traitors”, along with their addresses and telephone numbers. The individuals targeted are Anna Grodzka, the first transsexual to sit in the Polish Parliament, and Killion Munzele Munyama, an economist of African origin.

The Polish Police’s jurisdiction, however, does not extend to the right-wing extremists’ web page, called Redwatch, because it operates through a server based in the USA. Czech neo-Nazis maintain a similar list.

Neo-Nazis have posted several photographs on Redwatch of Grodzka, a 57-year-old activist for sexual minorities’ rights who recently underwent a sex change. The site also includes a vulgar description of the MP, who was elected for the liberal-populist Palikot Movement (Ruch Palikota), as well as several of Grodzka’s e-mail addresses.

Right-wing extremists accumulate information through Redwatch about left-wing activists, or people advocating for the rights of immigrants and LGBTQ people, or those fighting against neo-Nazism and racism. Adam Michnik, the editor-in-chief of a Polish liberal daily, was placed on the list of “traitors of the white race” in the past.

“I believe I’ve ended up among a very respectable, select society, I am proud to have been included in such company,” Grodzka said yesterday on the TOK FM radio station. She went on to say that the compilation of lists such as those on Redwatch is naturally not a praiseworthy activity.

Killion Munzele Munyama, who is also on the list, was born in Zambia and has lived in Poland since the start of the 1980s. He was elected to parliament for the governing Civic Platform party. In his case, right-wing extremists published his telephone number, residential address, and contact information for his wife, as well as offensive commentary, on Redwatch.

The Polish-language version of Redwatch is housed on a server based in the USA. “That is a big complication because its content violates Polish laws but not American ones,” said Mariusz Sokolowski, a spokesperson for the Polish Police Presidium.

Redwatch is connected to the international neo-Nazi organization Blood and Honor. The Polish branch of this organization, following the model of the Dutch and German branches, was created in 2006. Last year a court in Vratislav sent three right-wing extremists linked to the website to prison for sentences ranging from between 13 and 18 months. However, those convicted never did additional prison time beyond what they had already served in custody.

The Redwatch list started several years ago in the Czech Republic as well. As in other countries, the Czech list is intended to serve neo-Nazis as a platform for monitoring and terrorizing selected people.