Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work!
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
An 18-year-old will stand trial in Poland, accused of preparing to carry out an attack inspired Islamic State, with a school his apparent target.
The Internal Security Agency (ABW) announced on Wednesday that an indictment had been filed against the man, who under Polish privacy law can be named only as Remigiusz Ż. His nationality has not been revealed, but Remigiusz is a Polish name.
W wyniku śledztwa – wszczętego na podstawie materiałów własnych #ABW i prowadzonego przez Delegaturę Agencji Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego w Rzeszowie pod nadzorem 1 Wydziału Śledczego Prokuratury Okręgowej w Tarnobrzegu – do Sądu Okręgowego w Tarnobrzegu trafił akt oskarżenia… pic.twitter.com/vma8tEdDmU
— Jacek Dobrzyński (@JacekDobrzynski) February 11, 2026
The agency says that the suspect had planned “a mass attack directed against a group of people undertaken in order to carry out or support the policy of the Islamic State and [other] radical jihadist organisations”.
His actions took place between November 2024 and May 2025, when he was detained.
“He took notes regarding a planned attack on a school in Podkarpackie province,” which is located in southeast Poland, “and was in possession of material promoting jihad and the so-called Islamic State, primarily in Arabic and English,” said the ABW.
In an earlier statement, prosecutors said that Remigiusz Ż’s notes included details “indicating people who should be killed and using what weapons”.
Their investigation, carried out by the ABW’s branch in Rzeszów and prosecutors in Tarnobrzeg, both of which are in Podkarpackie, found that Remigiusz Ż had collected information on weapons, explosives, incendiary devices and poisonous substances, as well as on how to design, operate and place bombs.
Additionally, he has been charged with publicly inciting violence and hatred based on national and religious differences.
When questioned, the suspect admitted to the charges of public incitement but denied any involvement in preparing an attack. He has been placed in pretrial detention. If convicted, he could face up to 18 years in prison.
Poland has detained a man who was allegedly planning a terrorist attack on a Christmas market as an act of support for Islamic State.
The suspect, a 19-year-old Pole, had become "infatuated with Islam", say the security services https://t.co/N4WDVZdlai
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) December 16, 2025
In December, in a separate case, the Polish security services detained a 19-year-old Polish student who was allegedly planning a terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Poland as an act of support for Islamic State.
At the time, the spokesman for the security services, Jacek Dobrzyński, issued an appeal to parents to look out for any signs of their children becoming radicalised.
“If you see your children interested in Islam, communism, or fascism, and collecting all sorts of information and items on the subject, that’s the first sign. Take care of your own children, because things can only get worse from there,” he said.
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Grzegorz Jakubowski/KPRP
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
