Public execution in Dębica

A public execution in Dębica was carried out in 1946 when three members of the Polish anti-communist National Armed Forces (NSZ) organization, Józef Grębosz, Józef Kozłowski, and Noster Franciszek, were publicly executed by the communist Polish authorities in the market square of Dębica in southeastern Poland.

Behavior of some Red Army units and the NKVD confirmed this notion - they persecuted Polish patriots, arrested and imprisoned them.

After dissolution of the Home Army, new, anti-Communist organizations including, Freedom and Independence (Wolność i Niezawisłość - WiN) and National Armed Forces (Narodowe Siły Zbrojne - NSZ) were created with the purpose was to rid Poland of Soviet occupiers.

In 1945, Jan Stefko (aka "Mściciel" - "The Avenger") created a branch of the NSZ affiliated with the WiN in the district around Rzeszów.

Grębosz, Kozłowski, and Franciszek joined the group and took part in a number of attacks on Communists which led to their capture and eventual execution.

There, an exchange of fire occurred between them and agents of the Communist secret services from the Ministry of Public Security (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa - UB).

A few days later, on February 15, a group including Stefko detained two militiamen and two officers of the PUBP, Walentego Dzięgiela and Stanisław Kosydara.

[2] On February 20 on the way towards Jasło, the unit was caught in a trap set by soldiers of the Polish Army, militiamen and agents of UB in Grudna Górna.

[citation needed] The three were buried secretly by UB officers at the cemetery in Dębica and their graves were marked by members of the WiN.