Poland

An investigative reporter for the independent newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, Tomasz Piatek is facing a possible two to three-year jail sentence in a case that is being prepared by military prosecutors and could be heard by a military court.

Poland’s government is using legislative, political, and economic means to stifle the media and limit dissent and debate within the country, according to Pluralism under Attack: The Assault on Press Freedom in Poland, a special report from Freedom House.

Despite repeated warnings by international bodies and civil society organisations, the Polish government has continued on its course of undermining the rule of law, tightening its grip on media and backsliding on human rights protection.

Following years of attempts by Poland to restrict human rights and free expression, civil society is asking the EC to invoke an “Article 7 Procedure”.

Poland’s citizens and civil society are not standing by idly while the government is demolishing the country’s democratic institutions.

“Mr. Czuchnowski’s article was clearly labelled as an opinion piece and it proceeded to express a viewpoint on a matter of political nature that is unquestionably in the public interest. There is almost no room in such circumstances for a libel claim, let alone one lodged by the governing party itself.”

Poland’s newly-elected government will be introducing a new law on public media in the coming months with the aim to exert more control on public service broadcasting media and to “repolonise” print media.

“Lukasz Masiak was one of the most recognised journalists in the region. Often he undertook and wrote about difficult and controversial topics. He wrote boldly and honestly, for which he was highly regarded in the journalistic community.”

“The overbroad application of defamation laws, as in these two cases, does not just affect those journalists directly involved, but can cast a chilling effect over colleagues who may fear similar consequences,” said IPI Press Freedom Adviser Scott Griffen.

Ewa Wojciak, director of Poland’s Theatre of the Eighth Day, was fired by Poznan mayor Ryszard Grobelny on 28 July. His administration oversees culture and arts in the city, including Wojciak’s subversive and anti-establishment theatre group.

Traveling in Poland as part of a trip for theatre directors, Jeff James reflects on the uproar over a controversial play, Golgata Picnic

Poland’s transport minister Slawomir Nowak recently filed a libel suit for 30 million zlotys (7 million euros) against a magazine. In a separate incident, the deputy prime minister and economy minister Janusz Piechocinski made intimidating comments to a TV24 journalist when asked about a possible cabinet reshuffle.

The editor-in-chief of the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita and three journalists were dismissed over a report on the plane crash that killed former President Lech Kaczynski in 2010.

ARTICLE 19 issued an open letter to the Polish President urging him not to promulgate the country’s new Law on Public Activity within the Sphere of Media Services.

World Report 2009: Poland

Annual Report 2008: Poland