IRI Statement on Assassination of Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz

Washington, DC—IRI deplores the assassination of Pawel Adamowicz, the Mayor of Gdansk and a longtime friend and partner.  

“IRI was privileged to work with Pawel on joint US-Polish programs and in exchanges with our Ukrainian, Georgian, Moldovan and Russian delegates,” said Jan Surotchak, IRI Senior Director for Transatlantic Strategy.  “From his first engagement in Poland’s democracy movement in 1988 until the moment he was senselessly murdered, Pawel remained committed to building a free and democratic Poland. We join the people of Poland and his beloved city of Gdansk in mourning his passing.”

“Pawel was a stalwart supporter of democratic reforms throughout the region, and particularly in Ukraine,” added IRI Regional Director for Eurasia Stephen Nix. “As Mayor of Gdansk, he hosted numerous mayors and city council members from Eastern and Southern Ukraine and provided invaluable assistance to their efforts to improve accountability in local governance. He will be missed by IRI and our many partners in the region.”  

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