Poland’s Sejm backs asset freezes without prior court approval

The government-backed Act on Restrictive Measures would give the interior minister authority to maintain the list and impose restrictions on those deemed threats to Poland’s security, including people linked to certain forms of foreign interference. Measures could include freezing financial assets, limiting access to economic resources, barring listed entities from public procurement and restricting entry where applicable.

People or companies could challenge a designation in an administrative court, but an appeal would not automatically suspend the restrictions. The bill’s crypto provisions cover assets held by banks and exchanges, which would have to comply with applicable freeze orders. For self-custodied wallets, enforcement would depend on authorities identifying the assets and restricting transactions. An order alone would not give officials control of a wallet’s private keys.

The proposal does not impose a general freeze on cryptocurrency in Poland; restrictions would apply to designated individuals and organizations. It would operate alongside existing EU sanctions rules, which already provide for freezes involving designated people, and is separate from the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. The bill also forms part of Poland’s efforts to implement provisions of EU Directive 2024/1226 on offenses and penalties for breaches of EU restrictive measures.

Opposition lawmakers and legal groups have questioned the measure’s effects on property rights and freedom of expression. In an October analysis, Ordo Iuris argued that the national list goes beyond EU requirements and raised concerns about sanctions based on the possibility that resources could support designated entities, or on personal connections to them. Poland’s National Broadcasting Council separately warned in September that unclear provisions on information manipulation could affect media organizations and public expression. After the vote, opposition lawmaker Roman Fritz denounced the bill, calling it “the totalitarian law” and saying, “Communism is back in full,” according to a post circulated by Slavic Networks.

The bill now goes to the Senate, which may propose amendments before it returns to the Sejm. It would then require President Karol Nawrocki’s signature to become law. Nawrocki previously vetoed a separate crypto regulation bill; in September, the Sejm failed to override that veto, with a 241–198 vote falling short of the required three-fifths majority. That bill concerned domestic implementation of MiCA and supervision of crypto businesses, rather than sanctions.