Jerzy Popiełuszko assassination trial

Toruń trial
Started27 December 1984
Decided7 February 1985
VerdictGrzegorz Piotrowski and Adam Pietruszka
  • 25 years in prison

Leszek Pękala

  • 15 years in prison

Waldemar Chmielewski

  • 14 years in prison
Court membership
Judges sitting5 including other jurists
Chief judgeArtur Kujawa
Associate judgesJurand Maciejewski

Following the assassination of a 37-year-old Polish Catholic priest Jerzy Popiełuszko on 19 October 1984, the trial began on 27 December that year in the provincial court of Toruń in Poland. It investigated the following incident, conviction, and sentencing of four Polish officers, also known as the Toruń trial (Polish: procesie toruńskim). The four officers who were convicted and sentenced regarding the trial were Grzegorz Piotrowski, captain and the ringleader of Soviet-led Polish counterintelligence agency Security Service, Adam Pietruszka, Leszek Pękala, and Waldemar Chmielewski–ages 33, 47, 32, 29, respectively. The trial lasted until 7 February 1985. It was believed to be the first case to have communist government persecute four secret agents publicly.