A eulogy to the life of Wojciech Jaruzelski was given by former Polish President (1995-2005) Aleksander Kwasniewski. He said about imposing martial law crackdown against the Solidarity movement in 1981 that “with sincere conviction at a moment of severe crisis the lesser of two evils: protecting us from either foreign intervention or a fraternal civil war”.

Lech Walesa, former chief of Solidarity Trade Union and then Polish president, took part at the ceremony and gave his condolences to the General’s family.

Jaruzelski, who died aged 90 on May 25th, rests in peace in Warsaw’s Pawazki Military Cemetery, the place of burial of many notable Poles.

Material from Polskie Radio and PAP