BEHEMOTH singer NERGAL acquitted of charges of disrespecting Poland's national symbols
09-05-2022
BEHEMOTH frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski has once again been acquitted of charges that he disrespected one of Poland’s national symbols.
Back in January 2018, it was announced that Nergal was being formally charged by Polish authorities in a case involving the band’s “Republic Of The Unfaithful” tour artwork and merchandise, which was said to be “insulting” to the national coat of arms of Poland, a stylized white eagle with a golden beak and talons, and wearing a golden crown, in a red shield. Three months later, Nergal posted an update via Instagram, revealing that “all the absurd charges” against him were “dismissed.” But then in July 2020, he shared a new message on his social media revealing that the case had been reopened and the matter was being investigated further.
The artwork “included elements and symbols considered Satanist and anti-Christian, with the aim of conveying content far removed from the historical and state ideology,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Nergal and Maciej Gruszka, who, as BEHEMOTH‘s webmaster, promoted the tour online, were accused of publicly affronting the Polish national emblem, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. Also charged was Rafał Wechterowicz, the graphic artist who worked on the BEHEMOTH artwork.
Polish symbols are protected against public profanation and insult. According to Lexology.com, any public use that could be damaging or insulting may be considered a criminal offense. Therefore, it is important not to use any national symbol (even if artistically processed) in a way that could be deemed as disrespectful or offensive.
On Friday (May 6),the District Court in Gdańsk issued a judgment in the case. In the opinion of the court, the graphic design on the poster is not an image of the Polish emblem. As judge Monika Jobska stated, “the subject of the public insult described in Article 137 of the Criminal Code must be, inter alia, the emblem. Not a graphic design, graphic design referring to or similar to an eagle. According to the opinion of one of the experts, the design was created from scratch by the author and does not constitute a modification of the emblem of the Republic of Poland,” said the court in its ruling.
Included on the poster was a white eagle without a crown; instead of the crown, devilish horns grew out of the bird’s head. The eagle was inscribed with two snakes, skulls and an inverted cross. The eagle was placed on a red background, and the whole style was reminiscent of the Polish coat of arms. Above the eagle there is also the inscription “Rzeczpospolita Niewierna” (The Republic Of The Unfaithful”).
Earlier today (Saturday, May 7),Nergal took to his Instagram to weigh in on the latest acquittal. He wrote: “Fuck yeah! Acquitted again!!
“This has begun over 3 years ago, when one of the PIS politicians felt that BEHEMOTH has offended Polish National Emblem with a design which was used to promote Polish leg of a BEHEMOTH‘s tour. Obviously, nothing of such was happening. And it’s been sooo clear for everyone except for the right wing politicians and their fans. Yet the the politicized prosecutor’s office launched an investigation and accused us of insulting the Polish emblem.
“ANOTHER battle won!” Nergal added. “Thank you all who made that happen, thank the Judge for being fair, open minded and reasonable. And brave in such strange times…
“ART & logic vs. religious fanatics 3 : 0”.
Darski later contested the judgement and the case was eventually dismissed. In the ruling, the judge wrote the photo in question was posted on Nergal‘s social media and was therefore only made available to a specific group of people who could read it after observing the disclaimer at the top of the page: “The content presented on this profile may offend your religious and other feelings. If you don’t want that to happen, stop following me.”
After the February 2021 verdict against him was announced, Nergal told The Irish Times that he was appealing his conviction because not doing so would have resulted in him having a criminal record and therefore not being able to tour in many countries, including the United States and Australia.
“I am being the perfect target,” he continued. “The Polish authorities just pick on me. It is not a secret that a prosecution officer has me as his favorite scapegoat. He follows my Instagram account. Can you imagine that? It’s insane and absolutely unprecedented.”
In 2011, Nergal was acquitted in Poland on charges he insulted religious sentiment when he called the Catholic Church “the most murderous cult on the planet” during the band’s September 2007 performance in Gdynia and tore up a copy of the Bible, calling it “a book of lies.”
Behemoth’s latest release is “In Absentia Dei”, released on Nuclear Blast Records.
Order the release in different formats AT THIS LOCATION.
Listen to “Evoe” AT THIS LOCATION.
“In Absentia Dei” will be available as digital album, digibook and 3LP Vinyl in various colours. All Nuclear Blast triple LPs come with a premium 20-page booklet AND a cut-out, build at home model of the actual church that BEHEMOTH performed in.
The event was said to set a new standard for streaming events in the future and this was something BEHEMOTH set out to achieve from the start. Produced by Grupa 13, “In Absentia Dei” was presented as a show of four parts, woven with high-production theatrics and even a hellish flames emanating from all parts of the sacred building.
BEHEMOTH released their latest full-length, “I Loved You At Your Darkest”, in 2018 to vast critical acclaim. “I Loved You At Your Darkest” marked a milestone in the history of the band, being not only their most successful album, but also an audiovisual masterpiece: from its detailed, blasphemous artwork, to the highly vicious, yet deeply emotional tracks, BEHEMOTH once again played with fire – and ignited a wildfire burning the narrow minded bigotry of Christianity down to the ground.
Social media