Claim 168

Jaruzelski opened his televised address announcing martial law by saying the country had found itself at the edge of the abyss and that the structures of the state were ceasing to function.

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 1 source.

Statement: Jaruzelski opened his televised address announcing martial law by saying the country had found itself at the edge of the abyss and that the structures of the state were ceasing to function.
Field: stated_justification
Value: Jaruzelski's address
About: incident 1981-poland-martial-law-press-suspended
Source: "All the Telephone and Telex Lines are Disconnected" - RFE and the 1981 Martial Law in Poland
Publisher: Blinken OSA Archivum
Method: outlet report
Checked: 2026-09-22
Confidence: medium
Status: current

Quotation from the source

Our country has found itself at the edge of abyss. The structures of the state are ceasing to function.