Polish court: move to slash pension of communist leader Jaruzelski was illegal

Polish court defends Jaruzelski’s pension

WARSAW, Poland — A Polish court says a government move to slash the pensions of communist leaders who imposed martial law in 1981 was illegal.

The government has halved the pensions of Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, Poland’s last communist leader, and eight other officials who imposed martial law between 1981 and 1983 in an attempt to crush the Solidarity movement.

But Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled the move violated the constitution. It said the portion of the pensions earned during the crackdown itself could be cut but the rest could not.

The cut was part of a wider law intended to punish former officials and security agents for supporting the communist regime. It took effect Jan. 1.

The tribunal posted its ruling on its Web site late Wednesday.