Piotr Igor Ikonowicz [ˈpiɔt iɡɔr ˈikɔnɔvit͡sz] , born on May 14, 1956, in Pruszków near Warsaw) is a Polish politician.

Piotr Ikonowicz
Personal details
Born (1956-05-14) May 14, 1956 (age 68)
Pruszków
CitizenshipPolish
Political partyDemocratic Left Alliance
Polish Socialist Party
Social Justice Movement
New Left
Alma materUniversity of Warsaw
ProfessionJournalist, translator
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/ikonowicztv IkonowiczTV channel

A graduate of the faculty of Law and Administration of the Warsaw University and the Institute of Geography of Developing States, in the early 1980s he engaged himself in socialist anti-government activities, for which he was arrested and imprisoned in 1981. Released soon afterwards, following the imposition of the Martial Law in Poland he was again arrested and sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for organization of May Day demonstration independently from the communist authorities.

Following the first free elections in post World War II Poland in 1989, Ikonowicz was one of the founders of the new Polish Socialist Party.[1] A member of the Sejm, in 2000 he unsuccessfully ran in the presidential elections. Currently he was one of the leaders of the New Left party.[2]

Ikonowicz is active in The Office of Social Justice (Kancelaria Sprawiedliwości Społecznej), an organisation supporting tenants who can be evicted.[3]

Arrest for taking part in battery

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He was arrested in 2000 for assault and battery on a landlord, who evicted a retired couple from their home.[4] Eight years later, after a trial, he was sentenced to 6 months of restricted freedom of movement and obligatory social work. However, Ikonowicz refused to carry out the social work part of his sentence and was sentenced to mandatory 90 days in prison starting on 14 October 2013. He didn't show up to prison, and police had to arrest him on 30 October 2013. He appealed to the president for a pardon, however Bronisław Komorowski refused.[5]

Personal life

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Piotr Ikonowicz is a son of the journalist Mirosław Ikonowicz[6] and Russian chef Olga Borkowska. His sister, Magda Gessler, is famous Polish chef and TV personality.[7] Ikonowicz was married with Zuzanna Dąbrowska, a journalist.

References

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  1. ^ "Piotr Ikonowicz". The Guardian. London. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  2. ^ "Piotr Ikonowicz "jedynką" Samoobrony w Warszawie". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish). 26 September 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  3. ^ "Kancelaria Sprawiedliwości Społecznej - Official website". Archived from the original on 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  4. ^ "GUE/NGL condemns Polish authorities' unacceptable arrest of Piotr Ikonowicz - GUE/NGL - Another Europe is possible". www.guengl.eu. Archived from the original on 2013-11-09.
  5. ^ "Ikonowicz już w areszcie. Ułaskawienia nie będzie".
  6. ^ Warsaw's Restaurant Guru Moves Past Traditional Polish Cuisine; The New York Times, January 6 2012
  7. ^ Powrót brata; Barbara Pietkiewicz, October 21 2000
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