(MENAFN) Karol Nawrocki, the recently elected president of Poland, has been added to Russia’s list of wanted individuals over alleged criminal activities tied to the dismantling of Soviet-era memorials.

According to the Russian Interior Ministry’s online registry, Nawrocki is pursued "under a criminal article," though no further specifics were disclosed.

Nawrocki, a right-leaning candidate who narrowly secured victory in Sunday’s decisive vote, has reportedly been a focus of Russian legal scrutiny since early 2024.

In February, a Russian state media outlet stated that law enforcement had initiated legal actions against a number of prominent Polish officials, including Nawrocki.

At that time, he held the position of director at the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland.

The accusations pertain to the demolition of monuments that honored Soviet troops.

Between 1944 and 1945, the Soviet military suffered over 600,000 fatalities while pushing Nazi forces out of Poland.

In remembrance of this campaign, numerous statues and memorials were constructed across the country.

However, following the fall of the Eastern Bloc and the Cold War’s conclusion, Polish authorities have increasingly criticized the Soviet Union’s presence as an "occupation" and have undertaken efforts to erase remnants of the communist past.

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