Polish far-Right MEP denies Auschwitz gas chambers, faces legal action

Grzegorz Braun sparks outrage with Holocaust denial and antisemitic acts; Poland and the U.S. condemn his rhetoric.

By David Brummer

A far-right Polish lawmaker provoked international outrage Thursday after denying the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz and accusing the Auschwitz Museum of promoting “pseudo-history.”

Grzegorz Braun, a member of the European Parliament from the Confederation of the Polish Crown party, made the inflammatory comments during a recent radio interview.

He also repeated an antisemitic blood libel claim, stating that “ritual murder is a fact.”

Poland’s Auschwitz Museum announced it will pursue legal action against Braun.

STATEMENT OF @AuschwitzMuseum DIRECTOR DR. PIOTR M. A. CYWIŃSKI ON THE COMMENT MADE BY GRZEGORZ BRAUN, MEMBER OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

A scandalous and deceitful statement by Member of the European Parliament Grzegorz Braun, in which he denies the existence of gas chambers at the… pic.twitter.com/1LfMyjetI7

— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) July 10, 2025

Under Polish law, Holocaust denial can carry a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Prosecutors have already collected evidence and handed the case to the Institute of National Remembrance.

Braun is no stranger to public antisemitism.

In December, he infamously used a flamethrower to extinguish the candles of Poland’s national Hanukkah menorah during a commemorative event.

Last week, Braun disrupted the commemoration of the 1941 Jedwabne massacre, preventing Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich from leaving the ceremony.

The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw condemned Braun’s statements, saying they “distort the realities of the Holocaust.”

In a statement posted Friday, the Embassy emphasized that “the United States is deeply committed to confronting antisemitism, promoting Holocaust education, and defending the truth against distortion. We condemn actions that distort history, desecrate memory, or spread antisemitism.”

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also rebuked Braun, accusing him of harming Poland’s international reputation.

“If he were a Russian agent, he could not perform his task any better,” Sikorski said.

He criticized authorities for not intervening when Braun was “caught red-handed” damaging property and disrupting religious ceremonies in Parliament.

Poland’s FM Radosław Sikorski [@radeksikorski] says there is no tolerance in Poland for the escalating campaign of racism and the antisemitism it fuels. His comments on social media come after Grzegorz Braun [@GrzegorzBraun_], far-right MEP, earlier this week disrupted a memorial… pic.twitter.com/TCmryPtfJM

— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) July 12, 2025

Braun’s provocations have also reached the European Parliament.

During a solemn Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in Brussels in late January, he shouted, “Let’s pray for the victims of the Jewish genocide in Gaza,” interrupting a minute’s silence for the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola quickly responded, urging silence and ordering Braun to leave the chamber.

She later apologized to attendees before the ceremony concluded with a rendition of “Kaddish,” the Jewish prayer for the dead.

Braun’s outbursts have come amid a global surge in antisemitism.

His statements have drawn sharp rebuke from Polish leaders, U.S. diplomats, and Jewish organizations, who warn against the growing normalization of hate speech and Holocaust distortion.

In September 2024, Braun told then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “Go home!” during a visit there, claiming “We don’t want Polish people paying or dying for your wars,” in reference to the conflict in neighboring Ukraine.

Auschwitz museumGrzegorz BraunHolocaust Poland