Ukrainian who insulted President Nawrocki is no KUL PhD student and lost his job

Vitalii Mazurenko, a Ukrainian journalist, was fired after controversial remarks about President Karol Nawrocki. Doubts also emerged over his alleged doctoral studies at KUL.

Controversial remarks on Polsat News

During the program „Debata Gozdyry” on Polsat News, Mazurenko compared President Karol Nawrocki to a „pachan” – a term in Russian slang for a criminal leader. The remark prompted an immediate reaction from the host and a sharp wave of criticism from both the media and political circles.

• Program host Agnieszka Gozdyra reacted immediately, announcing that the limit of acceptable debate had been crossed.
• The editorial team of „Obserwator Międzynarodowy” described the remark as a private opinion that did not reflect the outlet’s editorial line.
• A few hours after the program, Mazurenko lost his job at the portal and his position as deputy editor-in-chief.

What consequences did Vitalii Mazurenko face?

The editorial team of „Obserwator Międzynarodowy” stressed that it does not accept undermining the dignity of the presidential office and said it had immediately ended cooperation. Such a swift reaction shows that clear limits of journalists’ responsibility for their words have been set. Public figures also weighed in, even filing notifications with the prosecutor’s office over insulting the head of state.

Main consequences for Mazurenko:

1. Loss of his job at the news portal.
2. Loss of the position of deputy editor-in-chief.
3. Public outcry and accusations of crossing the limits of freedom of speech.

Who is Vitalii Mazurenko really?

In public debate, Mazurenko presented himself as a journalist, lawyer and doctoral student at KUL. However, in response to media reports, the Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II issued an official statement excluding any ties between Mazurenko and the university. He was removed from the list of doctoral students as early as November 2020 and has not been affiliated with KUL since then.

Key facts about Vitalii Mazurenko

Endorsing Banderism

Back in 2020, on his Facebook profile, Vitalii Mazuernko published a post from a wax museum in which he praised Stepan Bandera – a Ukrainian nationalist and perpetrator of crimes against Poles during the Volhynia massacre.