17-year-old detained in Poland over alleged plans for terrorist attack

Authorities in Poland have detained a 17-year-old accused of preparing an attack on a school and a mosque.

A court has ordered that the teenager, named as Paweł G, be held in pre-trial detention for three months.

The case is part of an ongoing investigation by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) looking into individuals active in online neo-Nazi and extremist circles.

On 18 September, ABW reported the detention of two minors who were active in groups bringing together people linked to such ideologies.

At the time, officials stressed that the investigation was ongoing, with officers analysing the detainees’ contacts and checking whether other individuals may have been involved.

This led investigators to Paweł G.

Officers from ABW in Katowice then detained him and searched his home, securing electronic devices and data carriers that were then subjected to detailed analysis.

According to ABW’s findings, Paweł G., like the minors detained earlier, was active on the Telegram and Discord platforms, where groups linked to neo-Nazi and extremist communities operated.

He took part in discussions about previous terrorist attacks and their perpetrators. In some exchanges, participants also raised the possibility of carrying out further attacks.

Members of these groups examined, among other things, the methods used by those responsible for earlier attacks and treated them as a potential source of inspiration.

ABW further established that Paweł G. is believed to have belonged to the Atomwaffen Polska group and to have co-created the Bierut Soldier ZNB group. Both contained content and symbols referring to neo-Nazism, along with discussions of violence and terrorist activity.

Alleged attack plans

The most serious of the charges brought against Paweł G. concerns the preparation of a terrorist attack.

Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said Paweł G. had planned “a mass terrorist attack,” including on a school and a mosque.

“There is no and will be no leniency for fascism, hatred and the planning of bloody attacks in Poland,” the minister wrote on X.

“Anyone who raises a hand against the security of Poles will face the full severity of the law. Security is not an area for compromise. It is the foundation of our community,” Żurek added.

Prosecutors are also examining information about planned purchases of weapons and military equipment, as well as the collection of materials linked to the activities of terrorist organisations.

The two remaining charges relate to participation in an organised criminal group. According to investigators, the group was involved in activities including preparing offences of a terrorist nature, promoting Nazism and fascism, and inciting hatred.

The likelihood that the suspect committed the offences with which he is charged is said to be supported by the evidence gathered during the investigation.

Particular weight is attached to the results of the search of his home and the analysis of his phones and other seized data carriers.

During the search, officers reportedly found, among other items, knives, a bayonet for an AKM-type rifle, as well as books, patches and other materials bearing fascist and Nazi symbols.

Analysis of the data stored on the seized devices is also said to have revealed correspondence about the planning of mass attacks, including a potential attack on a school and a mosque.

The conversations reportedly covered the surveillance of potential targets, methods of carrying out attacks and issues related to obtaining weapons, ammunition and military equipment. Messages were also said to contain information on the use of grenades and Molotov cocktails.

Paweł G was questioned as a suspect. He refused to make a statement.