Anniversary of Emil Barchanski's death - the youngest victim of martial law

Emil Barchanski, a student of the advanced School. Mikołaj Reja in Warsaw, engaged in opposition activity as early as 1981, as a 16-year-old. Together with his schoolmate Leszek Tchaikovsky, he issued a satirical letter “Kabel” and led the school cabaret “Wrote”.

After the introduction of martial law, he became a associate of the organization of the Confederation of Polish Youth “Piłsudczyk”. On 10 February 1982, among others, Marek Marciniak and Artur Nieszczerzewicz took part in the “Colok” action, which aimed to pour paint and set fire to the monument of Felix Dzierżyński in Warsaw.

On 3 March 1982, Emil Barchanski and his colleague Szymon Pochwalski were arrested at the premises at Targowa Street while printing second circulation magazines. The interview, during which Emil was tortured, showed his engagement in the arson of the monument Dzierżyński.

On 17 March 1982, Barchanski was sentenced by a juvenile court to 2 years probation and probation. In May 1982, during the trial of his colleagues from the organization – Tomasz Sokolewicz and Marek Marciniak – he dismissed his earlier evidence as being forced by brutal beatings by the SB and declared that during the next court gathering he could identify the officers interrogating him.

On 3 June 1982, 17-year-old Emil Barchanski disappeared under unexplained circumstances. 2 days later, his body was recovered from the Vistula River. The 1982 investigation failed to explain how he died.

The Branch Commission for the Investigation of Crimes against the Polish Nation in Warsaw conducted an investigation into the anticipation of committing a communist crime. However, in the absence of adequate evidence, it was not possible to find how Emil was killed – the youngest victim of martial law. Nor have any possible perpetrators been detected. All leads indicate the participation of the PRL peculiar Services.

for: ipn.gov