1951 Mokotów Prison murder
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On March 1, 1951, Soviet-sponsored secret service of Communist Poland Urząd Bezpieczeństwa (UB) carried out an execution of seven members of the 4th Headquarters of anti-Communist organization Wolność i Niezawisłość (WiN). The massacre took place in the infamous Mokotów Prison in Warsaw, all murdered were members of WiN, also during World War Two they had actively participated in anti-German resistance.
The murdered men were: Lukasz Cieplinski, Karol Chmiel, Adam Lazarowicz, Jozef Rzepka, Jozef Batory, Mieczyslaw Kawalec and Franciszek Blazej. All were caught in late 1947 and early 1948, almost all came from the area of Rzeszow, as Cieplinski, who was director of WiN's 4th Headquarters, chose them personally, believing in their unbroken spirits.
The investigation was very brutal, all seven were tortured and beaten, Cieplinski’s legs and hands were broken, so he was carried for meals in a blanket. The trial, which started on October 5, 1950, was led by a group of ruthless military prosecutors of the Warsaw Military District - Colonel Aleksander Warecki (he served as a judge), Zbigniew Furtak, Zbigniew Trylinski and Jerzy Tramer, who took over the role of the Public Prosecutor.
The accused had no chance to defend themselves. Cieplinski on several occasions stated that he had been tortured and his confessions had been extorted, but judges were not interested in these words. Courtroom was filled with UB agents and the prosecutors did not hesitate to publicly mock the seven men, with the approval of judge Warecki. Newspapers were informing the public that "Traitors, spies and American servants will be prosecuted".
Thus, sentences were accepted by the accused with calmness, as they had expected them. First person to be sentenced was Lukasz Cieplinski, with five consecutive deaths. Colonel Warecki stated afterwards that all seven men had been cooperating with Nazi occupiers and betrayed Poland. After the trial, they were moved to the Mokotów Prison, where they spent 137 days waiting for the execution.
Appeals for clemency to president Bolesław Bierut were unsuccessful and the condemned were preparing themselves for death. Cieplinski, knowing that the oppressors would hide his body, decided to swallow a small portrait of Virgin Mary, which he had been wearing on the neck. For most of the time, all seven stayed in a large cell, which they shared with some 80 other anti-Communist fighters, such as Zygmunt Szendzielarz. According to witnesses, the WiN members kept close to each other, helping Cieplinski and Blazej, both of whom had suffered the most during the investigation.
Shortly before execution, which took place in the old boiler-room of the prison, Karol Chmiel tried to escape, running along the courtyard and screaming "They are murdering us". He was captured on a pile of coal. Also, he had been promised that his letters would be mailed to his sons; this never happened, even though Communist authorities mailed letter written by Rudolph Hess.
All seven were shot on March 1, 1951, "Katyn style”, in the back of their heads, with five to ten minute intervals. The execution started approximately at 8 pm, first was Cieplinski, then at 8:05 Batory, 8:15 Chmiel, 8:20 Kawalec, 8:25 Lazarowicz, 8:35 Blazej, and 8:45 Rzepka. Two of the murdered men - Cieplinski and Rzepka, had previously been awarded with Virtuti Militari.
Their bodies were buried in unknown location and have not been found so far. In 1992 Warsaw Military Court voided the 1950 sentences stating that all murdered men were fighting for free, independent Poland.
