Poland Foils Christmas Market Plot

The suspect was arrested in late November 2025 in the eastern city of Lublin, with the case made public on December 16.

Officials said the plot was disrupted in its preparatory phase, with no explosives assembled or attack imminent.

Arrest Before Execution

Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) detained Mateusz W., a 19-year-old Polish citizen, around November 30, 2025, at his apartment in Lublin.

Authorities said the suspect was preparing a terrorist attack targeting a Christmas market but was stopped before acquiring explosives or selecting a specific location.

The announcement was made on December 16 by Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesperson for the minister-coordinator of Poland’s special services.

Officials stressed that the early intervention prevented any immediate threat to the public.

Radicalization and Motivation

Investigators described the suspect as a first-year law student at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), raised in a devout Catholic family in central Poland.

Despite this background, authorities said he became “strongly fascinated by Islam and terrorism” and actively sought contact with the ISIS.

According to the ABW, the suspect expressed a desire to support IS activities and “fell in love with terrorism,” attempting to join a terrorist organization and seeking endorsement for an attack.

Electronic devices and data carriers seized during the arrest allegedly contained materials linked to Islamist extremism.

Planned Attack and Scope

Prosecutors said the suspect planned to carry out a mass attack using homemade explosives at a Christmas market, with the intent to cause deaths, serious injuries, and widespread intimidation.

While online conversations referenced a location involving 10–20 people, officials emphasized that the goal was a mass-casualty event rather than a limited assault.

No specific city or market was identified in the planning.

Authorities deliberately withheld details, noting that Christmas markets across Poland and Europe share similar characteristics and vulnerabilities.

Legal and Institutional Response

Mateusz W. has been charged with preparing a terrorist attack that could result in death or serious injury to many people.

Under Polish law, the offense carries a potential sentence ranging from 12 years in prison to life imprisonment.

A court ordered three months of pre-trial detention starting in early December 2025. The Catholic University of Lublin has suspended the student, with expulsion proceedings under consideration.