Behemoth have achieved a significant victory in a years-long legal battle with the Polish government over alleged insult to the Polish coat of arms. Find all the information about the court ruling and the band's reaction here:
In recent years, Behemoth have repeatedly caused a stir, whether through confrontations with the church or the government. Now, another confrontation with the government has come to light, in which Behemoth once again emerged victorious.
What Happened?
In 2017, Behemoth frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski, band merch designer Rafal Wechterowicz, and Behemoth webmaster Maciej G. were accused by the Polish government of insulting the Polish coat of arms on a band T-shirt. The investigations in the case were dropped twice, with a third case emerging this week.
Darski announced the important court victory on Instagram, highlighting his organization Ordo Blasfemia, which had raised funds to fight the lawsuit.
What Does The Polish Government Say?
The Polish government also published its decision on its website, which has since been viewed and translated by The PRP. The ruling on July 26 states that Behemoth did not use the Polish coat of arms and therefore cannot be sued for it.
"Article 28, section 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland states that the emblem of the Republic of Poland is the image of a white eagle with a crown in a red field . The above provision is further specified in the Act of 31 January 1980 in Article 2, section 1, where it is stated that the emblem of the Republic of Poland is 'the image of a white eagle with a golden crown on its head turned to the right, with spread wings, a golden beak and talons, placed in a red field of the shield'. Referring the above, very precise definition of the emblem to the disputed graphic, the Prosecutor found that the disputed graphic is an artistic creation, but is not the emblem of the Republic of Poland.
"Thus, in this case, there is no subject matter that could be affected by the accused's alleged causative act. In other words, the accused could not have insulted the coat of arms of the Republic of Poland, because the graphic in question was not the coat of arms. It should also be emphasized that the analysis of the creative process of the disputed artistic installation has shown beyond any doubt that the discussed product was not created as a result of transforming the coat of arms of the Republic of Poland, and at most refers to the coat of arms."
Congratulations on the victory, Behemoth!
