MINSK, 11 May (BelTA) – The U.S. media play an important role in shaping the public opinion in Poland, the Polish dissident, judge Tomasz Szmydt said in a new episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube channel.
According to Tomasz Szmydt, many ordinary Poles do not share the policy of the official Warsaw, but cannot talk about it publicly. Those who speak in favor of normal relations with Belarus and Russia draw the attention of the special services of the Internal Security Agency. "These services are not interested in hard evidence. They often fabricate cases or force people to talk about what they need to hear," Tomasz Szmydt said.
According to Tomasz Szmydt, many ordinary Poles do not share the policy of the official Warsaw, but cannot talk about it publicly. Those who speak in favor of normal relations with Belarus and Russia draw the attention of the special services of the Internal Security Agency. "These services are not interested in hard evidence. They often fabricate cases or force people to talk about what they need to hear," Tomasz Szmydt said.
The Polish judge also expressed the opinion that the policy of the ruling elite in Poland has a negative impact on the economic condition of the Poles themselves. "The authorities are not concerned about this. They will continue to hold positions in the European Parliament or the Seimas. But ordinary Poles do not agree with this," Tomasz Szmydt stressed.
A large role in the formation of public opinion is played by the media, which are mostly American, the judge noted. "If you take the TVN channel, it is part of the Discovery concern. Discovery, in turn, is a subsidiary of a more global network," he said.
Tomasz Szmydt explained that in the United States, major media outlets are run by former intelligence figures. In this way, U.S. politicians realize their interests, including outside the country. "This is a broad propaganda policy for the U.S. interests. Most of the media are in the hands of the United States. In the United States, the special services and the media work closely together," he said.
At the same time, the Russian and Belarusian media are blocked in Poland, Tomasz Szmydt added.
"The only way to get information from these media is to go to the Telegram channels of BelTA, RIA, TASS, Russian and Belarusian bloggers. Thus, you can form an opinion of what is really happening," the Polish judge explained.
Tomasz Szmydt is a judge of the 2nd Department of the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw. Previously, he held various positions in the judicial system and justice bodies of Poland. He was the head of the legal department at the National Council of Judges of Poland.
Due to his disagreement with the policies and actions by the authorities, he was forced to leave Poland and is currently in Belarus. He was persecuted and threatened for his independent political position.
