Libel trial over allegations Lech Walesa was communist spy begins
Former Polish president Lech Walesa is seeking retraction of claims by his one-time ally and successor as president, Lech Kaczynski, that Walesa spied for the communist secret police. The case has now been adjourned until 18 December to allow for further preparation. Walesa is also seeking £21,700 in damages. Or as one Lech (Walesa) said of the other Lech on TV, just before the trial began, "As long as I have a court verdict favourable to me, nobody - not even the head of state - can publicly state that it's not true." The former Solidarity leader has denied he worked as a communist agent, and was in fact cleared by a special court in 2000, when judges decided former agents had forged documents in an effort to derail his Nobel Peace Prize 27 years ago. For more, read the BBC
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